Demons
by Briar Elwood
Summary: Sequel to Monsters. Georgia Ellinas, Frank's mask in the beginning of Monsters, has gone crazy. Her husband goes to Michael for help. Meanwhile, the Michael/Fi/Samantha triangle progresses. Elements of Michael/Fi, Michael/Samantha.
1. Prologue

_A/N: Welcome all to the second in the Monsters, Demons and *title yet to be revealed* series, **Demons**!_

"We should get married."

I looked up from the explosive I was mixing, blinking wildly. "What?" I asked. I had to have had too much wax in my ears or something. I did _not_ just hear what I thought I heard… Had I?

Sam smiled at the expression on my face quirkily. She did that sometimes. It was adorable, yes, but it usually meant trouble. She looked back down to her part of the explosive, still smirking.

"I'm just thinking that we've been together long enough. I don't see any reason not to. It's not like we'd have to have kids, we'd just—"

"Are you _proposing_ to me?" I interrupted quickly, still trying to catch up with her train of thought. She looked up again, the smirk turning into a full-on grin.

"Yeah, I suppose I am," she said mildly. "Whaddya say?"

I blinked again, the cogs in my mind whirling madly. Her grin didn't falter one bit the whole time I thought it over. She was so confident. And she had reason to be.

Finally, I returned her smile. "I say you'll have to get me ring first."

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	2. Chapter 1

The drive from Maddy's house to the loft was all too silent for Samantha's taste. She understood it and really had no desire to break the silence herself, but still. It grated on her. Then again, most things would probably grate on her right now.

Michael looked somewhere between dejected and elated. Samantha just felt dejected. She'd come so close to getting Michael back. Okay, that sounded heartless and selfish, but really. It turns out Fiona Glenanne was actually still alive. Sure, it was great that Michael wouldn't have this overwhelming guilt because he thought he'd killed her, but… Samantha didn't have Charlie anymore. She'd gotten kind of used to the idea that Michael would be able to fill the void Charlie had left behind. Now she would have to contend with Fiona for Michael. One thing Samantha knew for sure. She wasn't going to go down without a fight. Hell, right now she almost had the upper hand. She was staying at Michael's place, wasn't she?

Michael was still silent as he pulled the Charger to a stop and climbed out. Samantha took a deep breath, feeling a bit more confident now, and stepped out as well. She followed him up the stairs, thinking of various ways to get Fiona out of the picture. Samantha couldn't help but chuckle under her breath at herself. She hadn't acted this bitchy since college!

She stopped smiling when she noticed Michael had stopped mid-step on the stairs. He had his hand on the railing which she could see was clutching at it for support and he was bending over slightly.

"Michael?" she asked, unsure of what to do. She watched, alarmed, as Michael began swaying dangerously, not seeming to notice his loss of stability. Before Samantha could do anything, he fell backwards, towards her.

"Michael!" she exclaimed, dropping to her knees to catch him before he hit his head on the metal stairs. His eyes were rolling up into his head, his body completely slack in her arms. All of her previous confidence gone, Samantha pulled an arm out from under Michael, slapping his cheeks to attempt to wake him.

"Michael! Michael!"

XxXxX

After realizing Michael wasn't going to wake up so easily, Samantha had dragged him up the stairs and to his mattress. She felt bad for all the bruises he'd have when he woke up, but figured he'd dealt with a lot worse than a few bruises. She tried to make him as comfortable as possible, trying not to let her worries get the best of her. She had debated whether or not to call Sam Axe or Fiona, but decided not to: Sam wasn't on the best terms with Michael right now and Samantha just did not want Fiona around. Whatever Fiona could figure out, Samantha could too.

It was getting late and a cool breeze set in outside. Figuring the fresh air would do Michael good, Samantha opened the doors to the porch, surprised by how refreshing it actually was. It was not as humid as Miami tended to be and it was actually a bit chill.

Samantha jumped when she heard the knock at the door. She frowned, unsure if she should answer it: this wasn't her place, after all. But it could be important… Or it could be an enemy of Michael's. Samantha sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose before grabbing her handgun and walking to the door. Handgun ready, she swung the door open and found a man, probably in his thirties, standing there. He scrambled backwards against the railing when he noticed the gun. Samantha frowned.

"Who are you?"

"Is this where, uh…" He looked down to something written on the back of his hand. "Michael Westen lives?"

Samantha lowered her gun slightly, squinting at him. The poor guy seemed like a wreck. "Maybe. Who's asking?"

"Uhm, my name's William. William Ellinas," he said, words tumbling out in a rush. "I'm just trying to figure out what's going on with my wife. She had this address and the name Michael Westen written down and I figured maybe he'd be able to help me."

Ellinas. Samantha tucked her gun away. That name sounded familiar. "Okay, and who's your wife?"

"Uh, Georgia," William replied nervously. "Georgia Ellinas." He started shoving his hands in his pockets. "I've got a picture of her here… Ah, here!" He shoved the photograph into Samantha's hand. "She… she took our kids, Johnny and Rose, and just… just disappeared. I don't know what's going on! Can you help me?"

Samantha was silent as she frowned at the photograph. Now she knew why the name sounded familiar. She knew this woman. Not well, in fact it was a wonder she even recognized the name, but she knew her. This was the woman Frank Westen had sent to start twisting Michael around his finger. She had been the woman who had told Michael that she'd kidnapped Madeline because Nate owed her a large sum of money. She had been the mask Frank had worn.

And she had kids. Samantha could easily guess what had happened. Georgia had figured out somehow that Frank wasn't going to leave her kids alone after he was done with her. She'd packed them up and ran, forgetting or just not bothering to let her husband in on what she'd been doing. Samantha couldn't blame her. She would've done exactly the same thing if she'd found out earlier what Frank was going to do to her Charlie.

Samantha looked back up to William, who was staring at her pleadingly.

"I'll see what we can do," she promised.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	3. Chapter 2

With a sigh, Samantha closed the door and walked back over to Michael's side. He didn't seem to be doing any better. In fact, he seemed worse. His face had scrunched up like he was in pain and every now and again an angry sort of whimper would slip past his lips. Concerned, Samantha leaned down to press the back of her hand against his forehead and winced. His skin was burning and she could feel sweat rolling down his face. She swore gently under her breath, glancing at the open porch doors as a cool breeze swept through. This wasn't Miami heat getting to Michael, this was something more. After a moment of internal struggle, Samantha placed a strong hand on Michael's shoulder and shook.

"C'mon, Michael," she pleaded. "I need your help on this one…"

With a loud groan, Michael's eyes fluttered and opened halfway. Samantha couldn't help the audible sigh of relief. Michael's hand came up to cover his eyes, running down his face as he let out a moan.

"Michael?" Samantha asked, the initial relief ebbing away. He peered at her through pain-hazed eyes. Samantha forced on a smile.

"Hey," she said soothingly. "How do you feel?"

Michael's glare through the seemingly permanent pain etched in his face was enough to answer her question. Samantha winced at the glare, deliberating for a moment.

"Look, I think you might've been poisoned," she started, gaining a confused frown.

"How?" he asked hoarsely, his voice so quiet that Samantha had to strain to understand him. She shook her head.

"I don't know. It's just a theory. But I really don't know what to do so…"

"So you woke me up to tell me I'm poisoned?" Michael asked, sounding angrier than he probably meant. Samantha raised her hand slightly in defense.

"I don't know! I'm a simple thief, Michael, I didn't have to deal with things like this," she explained. "All I know is with some poisons you're supposed to vomit or something, right?"

Instead of answering, Michael's face scrunched up in a wince. Before Samantha could do or say anything, however, Michael yanked himself up, vomiting over the edge of the mattress onto the floor. Samantha jumped in shock, biting her tongue as Michael continued to let out everything from his stomach onto the floor. After a few too many moments, the retching stopped, Michael staying where he was, breathing heavily. Samantha watched in concern as he slowly moved back to his pillow, eyes closed as he continued to catch his breath.

"Happy?" he whispered. Samantha tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace.

"Yeah, I guess." She waited for a moment for a reply before realizing he'd fallen back to sleep.

XxXxX

Another hour passed before Samantha finally realized the vomiting hadn't helped. Now, on top of the fever and moans, Michael was twitching madly and it was terrifying the hell out of Samantha. This was officially something out of Samantha's league. Mumbling, she pulled out her phone. It was time to call Sam Axe for help.

XxXxX

"George, Samantha. Samantha, George."

Samantha gave Sam's friend a short nod, stepping aside to let them in.

"George went to medical school but dropped out right before he graduated," Sam continued. "He works strictly off the books."

"You say he vomited about an hour ago?" George asked Samantha, pulling on rubber gloves. Samantha nodded. George frowned as he sat down by Michael's side. "Vomiting would only help a poison that he swallowed. If it was air born, he's going to need a shot. However, since we're not sure he was poisoned, I'll take a blood sample to make sure if you'd like. I can't be sure on how long it'll take me to analyze the blood and, by then," he said slowly, giving both a grim stare, "he might be dead. On the other hand, if we're wrong and give him the shot, it could kill him as well."

The knot that had been forming in Samantha's throat ever since Michael had initially passed out pounded angrily.

"It's your decision," George finished. Samantha stared hard at Michael, mind in a whirl, before she turned to face Sam. Sam was also staring at Michael, biting his lip.

"What do you think?" Samantha asked. She didn't want to be the one making the decision. She didn't want something like that weighing on her shoulders. Of course, she just didn't want Michael dead. She had already lost Charlie, to lose Michael so soon after…

Sam glanced at her, realizing she was giving him the choice, then turned his attention to George with a nod. "Do it."

George nodded his understanding, reaching into the black bag he'd carried in with him for the syringe and a bottle of rubbing alcohol. He rubbed a little of the alcohol on the back of Michael's neck before giving him the shot. Samantha looked away as it went in, the knot in her throat twisting painfully. After George was done and was cleaning up, Samantha took a deep, shuddering breath to calm herself. George looked up at the sound, smiling tightly.

"Fresh air will do him good no matter what his condition is," George told them as he packed up. He walked up to them, placing a hand on Sam's shoulder. "I'll let you know when I've got the blood analyzed. Let me know if his condition changes."

"Of course," Sam replied. George nodded briefly before letting himself out the door. Samantha walked slowly back to Michael's side, running a hand down his face tenderly. He'd be fine, she told herself. He had to be.

"Do you have any idea how he might've been poisoned?"

Samantha didn't look up to acknowledge Sam's question. "We went straight from Madeline's to here. It had to have happened before we met up with him again."

"So when he killed his dad?"

Samantha shrugged, keeping her eyes fixed on Michael's pained face. "I guess."

There was a pause before Sam spoke again. "I'm going to go check out that building, see if I can find anything to help George out."

Samantha simply nodded once, breathing a sigh of relief once she heard Sam close the door behind him. If Michael survived and Samantha really did want to start something up between the two of them again, she and Sam were going to have to start getting along better. Or Sam would have to go out the same door as Fiona.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	4. Chapter 3

"Mommy?"

Samantha pushed through the sleepiness blearily, blinking several times before Charlie's face came into focus.

"Yeah, honey?" she asked, still trying to wake up.

"I don't feel good," Charlie whined. Samantha peered through the sleep at Charlie, taking him in more fully. It was hard to discern anything in the darkness of her bedroom, but she could see Charlie's look of pain.

"Do you need to throw up?" she asked, sitting up slightly to get a better look. Charlie shook his head. Samantha frowned. "Well then, what's wrong, pumpkin?"

Charlie shrugged, his eyes fixed on his bare toes. Samantha paused, watching him as she tried to figure out what to do. It was times like these that she wished parenthood came with some sort of manual. Or at least that she didn't have to raise a kid on her own.

"Do you want to sleep with me tonight?" she asked finally, patting the bed. Charlie looked up and nodded, looking like he was embarrassed by the confession. Samantha smiled warmly, helping him climb up beside her. Pulling the covers over his small body, she let him cuddle in close, her own face burying into his hair.

"I love you, sweetie," she whispered, feeling Charlie already fall back asleep.

"I love you, too, Mommy," he mumbled into her chest. Samantha smiled into his hair, letting herself slip back to sleep as well. However hard it was to be a single mom, she wouldn't give up Charlie for the world.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	5. Chapter 4

"Samantha," Sam said in greeting as he let himself back through Michael's door. Samantha looked up and nodded. Sam grinned tightly. "Mike. You're awake."

Michael cocked his head in acknowledgement. He was sitting up on the mattress, sheets tangled around his torso, slowly eating a cup of yogurt.

"That I am," he replied. Sam shut the door behind him, walking up to stand at the foot of the mattress.

"How you feeling?"

"Like crap," Michael answered casually. "But less so than before, so…" He shrugged, taking another bite of the yogurt. Sam nodded.

"Did you let George know?" he asked Samantha. She shook her head.

"You didn't leave his number."

"Right. Well. Okay. I have a phone call to make then."

Samantha and Michael watched him walk out to the porch as he pulled out his phone. Samantha turned back to Michael, eyeing him closely as he turned back to his yogurt. After a moment, he looked up to frown at her.

"You can stop staring, Sam."

She ducked her head, embarrassed, and Michael laughed softly.

"I'm fine. I will be, anyway. You can stop worrying now, I promise."

Samantha looked up, expression twisted as she opened her mouth to argue, but was interrupted by Sam's return.

"George is still going to analyze the blood sample," he informed them, making a stop by the fridge to grab a beer. "Just to be safe. But I'm pretty sure I figured out what happened."

Michael frowned, sitting up a bit more attentively. "Yeah?"

Sam nodded, sitting himself down on Michael's green chair and popping open the beer. "Went over to the building where you killed your dad and the place was completely toxic. I couldn't get in. I figure he was trying to kill you with it."

Michael stared at Sam, letting this information sink in. His dad had honestly tried to kill him…

"Wouldn't that have killed Frank too, though?" Samantha asked, not noticing the shell shocked look on Michael's face. Sam shrugged.

"Maybe he didn't care anymore. The man was crazy, if you remember."

Samantha considered this. "True."

Sam finally caught on to Michael's expression and frowned. "You okay, Mikey?"

Michael looked up, snapping back into reality. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." Suddenly he remembered the yogurt in his hand and took another bite. "What's happening at Ma's?"

Sam paused for a moment, not convinced, before answering. "It's a bit crazy, I'm sure you can imagine. Lotta people there right now. Virgil's going to spend a couple days there, help your mom out. She's a bit in a tizzy since her husband came back from the dead and then her oldest son killed him."

Michael laughed humorlessly, focusing hard into his yogurt.

"So Virgil's taking care of her," Sam continued. "I think you'll like the way he's treating her, Mike. Nate and Ruth are packing up to go back to Vegas, but Ruth doesn't want to leave without thanking you."

Michael looked up now, raising an eyebrow. Sam shrugged.

"She won't stop rambling about you and how 'heroic' you are. I think it's getting on Nate's nerves, to be honest."

Michael scoffed. "I wouldn't doubt it."

Sam chuckled. "He'll get over it, though. He's grateful, too, he's just not as vocal as his wife."

Michael nodded, back to the wonders of the yogurt, waiting for more. When none came, Michael couldn't help the pang of disappointment as he recognized Sam had completely left out any mention of Fi. After a moment, Samantha spoke up.

"When you're feeling better, Michael, I, uh…" She paused. "I took a job for you."

Both Sam and Michael looked up to her, surprised. Samantha threw her hands up defensively.

"I couldn't say no! He came to the loft looking for you," she said. "He wasn't looking for your help, but once he explained the situation to me… It's about Georgia Ellinas."

Michael frowned. "Who?"

"The lady Frank sent to tell you it was Nate's fault for your mom's kidnapping?" Samantha prodded. Michael's eyes flew wide in recognition.

"Oh! I never knew her name," he explained. "I'd almost forgotten about her even. What's the job?"

Sam opened his mouth in protest, but Michael waved him off. Samantha looked between the two of them warily before replying.

"Her husband found your name and address in her stuff and came to see if you knew anything," Samantha started. "I think he thought you two might be having an affair or something. Apparently she's disappeared along with their two kids. I think she figured out that Frank wasn't going to spare her kids lives and ran off with them."

Michael nodded. "And didn't tell her husband what was going on the entire time. Makes sense. Do you have his number?"

Samantha nodded, handing him a piece of paper she'd had in her pocket. "You could call him in the morning and see if you can get any more information."

Michael took the piece of paper, looking at the number as he nodded.

"Why do you do this to yourself?"

Michael looked up to see Sam glaring at him. "Do what?"

Sam indicated the paper roughly. "Take on a particularly difficult job when what you really need is to take a break and rest."

Michael frowned, looking away again. "I don't know what you're talking about, Sam."

Sam scoffed. "Yeah, sure. Remember Kenny and his kid? The guy who almost committed suicide? Exhibit A. I mean, I can understand when you're down on finances and need some extra cash, but there's no money in it this time."

"I don't do this for the money, Sam," Michael said quietly, calmly.

"Yeah, I know!" Sam exclaimed. "You realize one day you're going to take one of these jobs when you need to rest and get yourself killed, right?"

Michael looked up again, eyes hard and determined. "What do you want me to do, Sam? There are kids involved."

Sam glowered silently, matching Michael's gaze stubbornly. Samantha's eyes were wide, recoiling slightly from the crossfire of the staring contest. Finally, Sam pulled back, taking a swig from his beer bottle.

"You do what you have to, Mike. And I'll be there to back you up. Just give me the right to say 'I told you so' when it blows up in your face."

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	6. Chapter 5

"You're Michael?" William asked, standing up to shake Michael's hand. He indicated the other chair, sitting down nervously. Michael glanced around at the small restaurant, pushing past the left over discomfort from the poison as he sat down across from William.

"Thanks for coming," he was saying. "I just… I don't know what to do. I'm just your average guy, you know?"

Michael smiled in amusement. "So is everyone else that things like this happen to. How much do you know about your wife's situation?"

William shook his head. "Nothing! I've actually been out of town on business. We'd talk on the phone while I was gone, but I thought everything was normal, fine, whatever. Then I came home and…" He threw a hand up. "She was gone! So were the kids! Just…" He rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily. "This was yesterday morning. I flew back in to Miami around four. At first I just figured they went to go stay the night at her sister's house or something and forgot to leave a note, so I went to bed. When I woke up, I waited for them for an hour or two, but didn't hear anything. So I called her. Turns out she left her phone at the house!"

Michael waited patiently as William took a shuddering breath to calm himself.

"I called her sister and she said she hadn't seen her in a couple days. Georgia and her sister are real close, so that's weird, you know? I started looking around the house to see if I could find anything and found your name and address in her sock drawer."

Michael watched as William pierced his waffle angrily with a fork. He sat up purposefully and William looked up, attentive.

"Does your wife work?" Michael asked. William cocked his head back and forth.

"Sort of. She's a drama director at the high school, but she doesn't really get paid for it. She does some writing on the side, but, again, she isn't published or anything so no pay."

Michael nodded, frowning. Had Frank picked her out of a crowd at random? Maybe he figured her theatre experience would help?

"And what do you do?" he asked.

"I'm a chemist," William replied, shrugging. "Nothing special, nothing that would get Georgia in trouble."

Michael waved a hand. "I'm not saying that," he assured him. "I'm just trying to fit pieces of the puzzle together."

William nodded his understanding, his eyes fixed on Michael desperately. "Look… Can… Can you help me?"

Michael paused, taking William in again. "The reason your wife had my name and address in her sock drawer was because she was blackmailing me."

William's eyes flew wide. "What? Why?"

Michael frowned. "Well, I should say she was being blackmailed in to seeming like she was blackmailing me… It's complicated," he said quickly when William's mouth opened. "The point is, a very bad man kidnapped your kids and threatened to hurt them if Georgia didn't cooperate. What Samantha, she's the one you met last night, and I think is that your wife figured out this man wasn't going to just let your kids go when he was done."

"What do you mean?" William asked breathlessly. Michael winced.

"I mean this man was going to kill your kids even if your wife did what he told her to. She probably figured that out, packed up the kids and ran."

William ran a hand through his hair, leaning back. "Oh, my… Where?"

Michael shrugged. "That's where you come in, William. You know her better than I do. Do you have any idea where she might've gone?"

William thought for a moment before shaking his head with a shrug. "I'd say her sister's, but that's obviously not the case."

Michael nodded. "It would probably be some place you wouldn't really think about. Remember, she's hiding. This man would've done his research on her and would be able to figure out any of her usual spots."

"This man," William said suddenly. "Who is he? Do I have to be scared he'll come after me?"

Michael stopped, surprised by the question. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised, it was a perfectly valid question, but…

"He's dead," Michael told William bluntly. "You don't have to worry."

"So that means Georgia doesn't have to be hiding any more, right?" William pushed.

"Yes. She's safe. Your kids are safe," Michael assured him. William nodded, eyes wide as he let all the information process. After a moment, he pulled out his wallet, taking a picture out and sliding it across the table to Michael. Michael picked it up, looking at the picture. It was a family photo of the Ellinas family. William, Georgia, and their two kids, all smiling, looking like the perfect family. Michael couldn't help but mentally compare it to any of the Westen family photos.

"Johnny's eight," William told him. "Rose turns seven next week."

Rose's sparkling eyes caught Michael's attention and he felt something stir inside of him. He'd find this little girl. He'd find her brother. He'd return them to their father's arms. He took a deep breath as he set the photograph back down, pushing it back to William.

"I want you to go to my place just in case. Samantha will be there if you need anything. I'm going to need a key to your house. I'll see if I can find anything that you might've missed, all right?"

William nodded, quickly handing Michael his house key after taking it off his keychain.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

Michael only nodded in reply.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	7. Chapter 6

"I can't believe a little girl's eyes is what convinced you to do this."

"Sam, just shut up and look around."

"No, I mean, really. You're going soft, Michael. And I usually wouldn't have a problem with that, but this is _you_—"

Michael gratefully pulled his phone out of his pocket as it rang angrily to interrupt Sam. After a quick glance at the caller ID which made his innards feel like they shrunk a couple of sizes, Michael answered it.

"Yeah, Fi."

_"About seven, red curly hair, pale skin with freckles, blue eyes, four foot three?"_

Michael looked up from the pile of magazines on the Ellinas's living room table. "Rose? Yeah. Why?"

_"Some guys found her body deep in the Boondocks a couple hours ago."_

Michael felt his heart plummet to his toes as he turned around to meet Sam's questioning gaze.

_"They haven't ID-ed her yet but I recognized the description. You think Georgia's hiding in the jungle?"_

"It's possible. Hard to find someone in there," Michael replied, forcing his voice to stay steady. "Do you know the coordinates of where they found her body?" he asked, making a point to ignore the sudden look on Sam's face.

_"I can find out,"_ Fi replied. _"But you're not going to just go looking for Georgia and Johnny in there, are you?"_

"Do you have another idea, Fi?" Michael asked wearily.

_"How about one that doesn't end with certain death?"_

"Fi."

_"Fine, fine. I'll get you the coordinates."_

"Thank you." Michael hung up as he let out a shaky sigh. Whether it was from the loss of Rose or the strain of talking to Fi, he couldn't be sure, but he had to focus on Sam jumping on him now.

"What the hell happened?" Sam demanded.

"They found Rose's body in the Boondocks," Michael told him. "Fi's getting the coordinates of where they found her so we can start looking for Georgia and Johnny."

"Isn't that something we should leave to the police, Mike?"

Michael raised an eyebrow at him. Sam raised his hands in defense. "Ohhkaaay, don't mind me, just trying to be the shoulder angel here."

Michael pursed his lips at Sam, looking down to his phone as he pressed the newest speed dial. "Samantha, you think you can handle telling William some bad news?"

XxXxX

Michael took a deep breath as he stood outside of Fi's place, preparing himself to go on in. They'd had two actual conversations since he'd found out she was alive: one with Sam as Michael explained to them the situation and the one on the phone when she'd told him about Rose. So far it seemed like they were going the route of "pretending nothing's happened even though the tension between us is stifling". But both of those conversations had been with other people around. Now Michael was headed into her house by himself. He was on her turf. Sam had gone to help Samantha see if William knew of any specific place Georgia might be in or near the Boondocks and Michael was going to get the coordinates from Fi.

…Michael wasn't sure if he'd ever been quite so terrified before.

Rounding out his shoulders, Michael walked forward and rang the doorbell. He had her key in his pocket, he just… Well, it just didn't seem like letting himself in would be a smart move. After a brief wait, the door opened, revealing Fi stepping to the side to let him in. Michael walked in, abandoning all hope for an easy way out if things went south.

"Did you get the coordinates?"

Fi nodded, walking to the kitchen where her laptop lay open. "She was pretty deep in," she said as Michael pulled the laptop over for a closer look. "Not as deep as you could get, not past the point of no return, but deep."

Michael nodded in agreement, silently memorizing the coordinates, goosebumps running up his arms and the back of his neck as Fi stood next to him to look over his shoulder.

"So," she started casually, backing off to sit on a stool next to the one Michael had settled on. "What's the plan?"

Michael paused before answering, knowing full well she wasn't going to like it. "I don't want many of us out there. We've got more man power than usual, but I want to keep some of us here in case something goes wrong."

Fi's eyes blazed but she nodded calmly, asking, "Have you got an idea of how you want to split it?"

Michael nodded, glancing down at his hands awkwardly as he answered. "I'm going to let Nate just go home with Ruby—"

"One day you'll learn her name is actually Ruth."

"—but I'm going to see if Virgil'll be willing to help out. He knows the Miami jungle better than any of us. Virgil, Sam and I will set out a hunt for Georgia and Johnny. I need you to stay with Ma, take over helping her out once Nate's gone and Virgil's busy."

Michael was impressed at how well Fi was doing biting her tongue. Of course, he was pretty sure she was literally biting her tongue, but all the same.

"What about your client?" she asked.

"Samantha's taking care of him," Michael replied. "She knows what it's like to lose a child, so she's the best choice in this situation…" He trailed off as he caught the look that had formed on Fi's face when he mentioned Samantha. Aw hell. He wasn't going to make it out of this house alive, was he? He supposed he should have realized that there would be some hard feelings on Fi's part towards Samantha, but it just… hadn't occurred to him.

"Uhm," Michael started cautiously. "Is that okay?"

Fi smiled tightly. "Oh, yes. No, that's fine. I'd rather spend time with Maddy anyway."

Michael nodded, sliding slowly off the stool and setting her laptop back down on the counter. "Uhm. Okay. Good. I'm going to… go. Have to, uh. Say goodbye to Nate and Ruby, then I'll talk to Virgil about helping out…"

Fi jumped lightly off her stool. "I'll come with you," she said brightly. Michael barely managed to conjure a wary smile in reply.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	8. Chapter 7

"I don't want you to kill him."

"Of course."

"Just… give him a little taste of what's to come."

"May I ask… What _is_ to come?"

"Oh, loads of fun. He's been having a hell of a time lately."

"Indeed he has."

"We're just going to continue the hell he's been living in."

"Pardon me if this is out of line, but do _you_ even know what you're going to do to him yet?"

"Mm. I have an idea. But you know how I love to improvise."

"Of course."

"Now, enough chit-chat. Go introduce yourself to the great Michael Westen."

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism._


	9. Chapter 8

"I can't believe we're actually doing this."

"Aw, Sam, will you give it a rest? We've got enough bug spray, ammo, food and water to last us at least a week. We'll be fine!"

"You know why I don't like the jungle? It's hot. And muggy."

"And that makes you crabby," Michael finally inserted. "We got that. Now will you _be quiet_?" He could feel the glare Sam was giving the back of his head and rolled his eyes. "How're we doing, Virgil?"

Virgil glanced down at the GPS he had in his hand. "We've veered a little too far south," he informed them. Michael nodded his appreciation, correcting their path and continuing onwards. To tell the truth, he couldn't blame Sam for being crabby. They'd left early that morning and had been walking for a couple hours now. The sun was just starting to come up above their leafy shade and they were definitely feeling it. According to the coordinates Fi had found, however, they weren't too far from where Rose's body had been found. Not that that meant they were anywhere close to finding Georgia and Johnny...

Something gleaming in the brush made Michael stop, raising a hand to signal for Virgil and Sam to stop as well. Squinting at whatever it was, Michael moved closer cautiously. Pulling back the brush, Michael frowned. It was a black disc-like object, obviously not related to its natural surroundings. Michael reached out to pick it up, but when his fingers brushed the surface, the object started beeping.

"Shit," he breathed, pulling back quickly. "Run!" he bellowed at Virgil and Sam. "_Run_!"

He'd only gotten a few steps away when the mine exploded. The force of it pushing him hard to the ground, Michael found his open mouth full of leaves and dirt. Rolling as soon as he hit the ground, he spit them out, immediately looking around for Virgil and Sam. They were rolling up to their feet as well, blinking widely against the shock of the explosion.

"What the hell?" Virgil asked incredulously.

"There was a mine," Michael explained, brushing himself off. "It was pretty new, too."

"Idiot hunters," Virgil growled. "They're always coming up with new illegal ways to—"

A sound above them made Virgil cut off and all three men looked up just in time to see a masked figure slide down from a vine and kick Michael square in the face. Michael reeled from the impact while Sam and Virgil raised their guns to shoot the attacker. However, before either of them could get a clear shot, a large animal rounded out from the trees, pouncing at them. Scrambling backwards, they turned their attention to the animal, letting out several rounds.

"A jaguar?" Sam bellowed over the gunfire. "They don't live in Florida, right?"

"Not out of zoos," Virgil yelled back. As soon as the jaguar slumped to the ground, several others prowled out of the trees, growling lowly as they advanced on the two men.

"Uh," Sam said slowly as he and Virgil backed away. "Suggestions?"

"I say we run," Virgil replied. Sam frowned, taking his eyes off the pack of jaguars to look for Michael.

"What about Mike?" he asked. Before Virgil could answer, however, the jaguars bounded towards them, snarling.

"Run!" Virgil screamed. Sam caught one last glance of Michael fighting the masked figure before turning heel and bolting away with Virgil, the jaguars hot on their trail.

XxXxX

Michael heard Virgil's scream and glanced over to see him and Sam sprinting the other direction. Taking advantage of Michael's momentary distraction, the attacker spun around him, wrapping a strong slender arm around Michael's neck. Chocking past the attacker's grip, Michael threw an elbow to his head, but the attacker caught his arm, pinning it behind his back. Michael tried to kick the attacker away, but he found his leg got pinned as well. Forcing past the haziness that was starting to take over, Michael yanked himself backwards, both he and his attacker falling hard to the ground.

Michael could easily tell he was now fighting a losing battle. His vision was clouding over and an unnatural sound had started humming in his ears. The only option he could see was somehow prying his attacker's arm off from around his neck. The chances of that actually happening were slim, but at least it was something. With his arm that wasn't pinned between himself and his attacker, Michael began clawing at the attacker's arm. His strength was waning, however, and Michael felt his arm slip down to his side unwittingly. He felt his body go limp, just about to fall into darkness when the arm disappeared from around his neck.

Coughing as fresh air hit his lungs, Michael struggled to pull himself up, blinking past the grey in his vision. Through the haze he caught a glimpse of his attacker scrambling away through the trees. Michael looked around frantically, trying to find what had scared his attacker off, but found nothing. With a deep sigh, Michael set his head back down, closing his eyes as he caught his breath. After a moment he felt something tickle his arm and snapped his eyes open as it traveled up towards his head. A spider. A huge, hairy spider. Michael stayed completely still for a brief second as the spider continued to crawl closer and closer to his face. It was about five inches long, black with a glaring red spot on its back. Michael figured if he kept completely still it would just go away. However, once he felt its feelers on his face, he couldn't help but jump up, brushing himself off like his life depended on it. Dammit, he _hated_ the jungle!

…And now he was alone in here, wasn't he? Sam and Virgil had been chased off by a pack of… Had that been jaguars? Since when were there jaguars in Miami? The zoo was one thing, the wild? And not only was he alone, Virgil had been the one with the GPS! They hadn't exactly counted on getting separated. Sighing heavily, Michael pulled out his cell phone to call them, stopping with a frown when he looked at it. No signal.

He was stuck out here.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	10. Chapter 9

Michael glanced around, trying to get a hold of his bearings to decide on his next step. The sidearm he'd had with him had disappeared. The attacker had probably picked it up and ran off with it. All Michael had was the clothes on his back, his wallet and his cell phone. Useless. He peered down the direction Sam and Virgil had run off, but realized it would be pointless to go that direction. Who knew what path they would've taken? He could stay here and hope Sam and Virgil used the GPS to find their way back to him, but who knew what other nasty things the jungle held?

Forward. That was the best choice. He was out here for a reason, he might as well follow through on that. Of course it was going to be a lot more difficult without backup, ammo and a GPS, but he still had to try. Maybe he'd get lucky.

After picking a direction he thought was roughly the way they'd been going before he'd stumbled upon the mine, Michael continued forward.

XxXxX

"You're actually serious, aren't you?"

Sam sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead before taking a swig of the cold beer he had in his hand. "Yes, Fi. I am."

"I'm not sure what baffles me more: the random ninja in the middle of the Miami jungle, the jaguars in the middle of the Miami jungle or the fact that you're just going to leave Michael _in the middle of the Miami jungle_!"

"I'm not sure what we can do about that, exactly," Virgil piped in, shrugging.

"We could, I don't know, _look_ for him?" Fiona suggested.

"How?" Samantha asked. Fiona shot her a death glare.

"I didn't ask for your input," she snapped. Samantha raised an eyebrow, not sure whether to be amused or offended.

"She's got a point, though, Fi," Sam said quickly before a cat fight could start over Michael's kitchen counter. "We don't have any way to find him. And, I hate to admit it, but he doesn't have any way to find us. We had the GPS."

"So we're just going to sit around while he _dies_ out there?" Fi asked incredulously. "When are you gonna let Maddy know? I'd like to be as far away as possible when that happens."

Virgil and Sam exchanged a glance before answering. "I'll let her know when Sam and I get over there," Virgil said. "But we're not giving up on Mike. We'll find him."

"So what are we doing right now?"

"We," Sam said with emphasis, "are going to get some rest. You might remember the fact that Virg and I were chased my jaguars just a little while ago. We'll figure out what to do in the morning."

Fi still didn't look satisfied, but she kept her mouth shut. Sam gave her a grateful nod, turning to Virgil. "Don't… do anything stupid, Fi."

The glare she delivered could've killed.

XxXxX

A sudden snap of a twig made Michael whirl towards the sound, ready to fend off any unfriendly foe. When he saw nothing, he frowned, creeping forward. There _was_ something back there, behind the brush, Michael could barely see a tuff of fur… or was that hair?

A small boy, about eight years old, stepped out curiously. His hair was ragged and his face was smeared with dirt. Michael couldn't believe his luck.

"Johnny? Are you Johnny?" Michael asked quietly, cautiously. Argh! Why did he always feel so awkward around kids? "Hey, look, my name's Michael."

The boy's eyes were wide, flicking around with paranoia as if he were trying to determine whether this stranger was a threat.

"I'm a friend," Michael assured him. "Is your mom close by? I've met her before, I need to talk to her."

The boy stayed silent, wide eyes started to make goosebumps crawl up Michael's arms.

"You can trust me," he said quickly. "I know you have no reason to, but you can. Please. I'm just trying to—Hey, wait!"

The boy had turned heel and was bolting away, surprisingly fast. Michael stood up, rushing after him. It was hard work: the boy was a lot smaller than Michael's six feet and took a few routes that forced Michael to crawl underneath brush, slowing him down.

Suddenly Michael had the wind knocked out of him. He halted, gasping for breath and looking down to see a large branch had just hit him square in the chest. He could swear that thing hadn't been there just a moment ago… He looked up to see a woman staring at him, eyes just as wide as Johnny's had been, hands clutching the other end of the large branch.

"Georgia," he gasped. She threw the branch to the side, jumping to attack him. Michael moved to block her, still fighting for air. "I'm here… to help!" Michael's vision was fuzzing over from the lack of oxygen and Georgia took full advantage of it. She swung around him, out of Michael's sight. He tried to turn around to keep his eyes on her, but found he couldn't quite move fast enough. Something solid hit the back of his head and Michael fell, blacking out.

XxXxX

Head pounding and ribs sore, Michael woke up with a low groan. He kept his eyes shut tightly for a moment, waiting for the sudden bout of nausea to pass before slowly propping himself up on his elbows and taking a look around.

The first thing that caught his attention was Johnny sitting just feet away, eyes still wide and scared, watching Michael closely. Once he saw Michael sit up, he bolted out.

"No, no, no, no, wait!" Michael called, reaching out one arm towards the kid. Dammit. He was probably going to get his mom.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Michael glanced around at the little strange hut he was in. Georgia really was creative, wasn't she? It was nowhere near a normal hut that you'd find in New Mexico or somewhere in another hemisphere. This one was made of plants that were still alive. As far as Michael could tell, the basic structure was made from the roots of a tree. It was fairly high and large enough for at least four grown men to fit in comfortably. Weaved through the roots were vines and large green leaves. Michael was impressed. Especially compared with his loft, this wasn't exactly a terrible place to live.

There was a sudden movement where Johnny had disappeared through and in walked Georgia, Johnny cowering behind her. Though Michael could recognize her from the time she'd been working with his dad, Georgia looked quite a bit different. Whereas last time everything about her had screamed middle class housewife, this time everything about her screamed crazed and wild. She wore a pair of jeans, ripped and torn, and a t-shirt, also ripped and torn. She had nothing on her feet and Michael could easily see the cuts and bug bites covering them. No wonder she'd gone crazy: the bugs out here would do that to anyone. Her hair was wild, large and tangled from a combination of no showers, no hairbrush, getting snagged in trees and humidity. Every inch of her seemed to be covered in mud, dry and cracking.

Her eyes, however, were the bit that really got to Michael. He couldn't remember what they had looked like last time they'd met, possibly because they had been hidden behind glasses, but now they were even larger than Johnny's seemingly permanent saucers, a brilliant shade of green, and gleaming with pure insanity.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	11. Chapter 10

**Petunia846 is hosting Fanfiction Awards for Burn Notice! Check it out (just take out the spaces): http:/ community. livejournal. com/ bn_fanficawards/ You don't have to have a livejournal account to participate!**

The sun peeking through her window seemed harsher than usual. With a groan, Fi squeezed her eyes shut, turning over to her other side to snuggle with the warm body beside her. She frowned when she realized he wasn't there. Yawning, she sat up and looked around. Maybe he was in the kitchen, making breakfast for the two of them. She smiled in anticipation of a Spanish omelet, egg whites only, and pulled herself out of bed. She grabbed the men's t-shirt lying on the edge of the bed and slipped it over her head.

But he wasn't in the kitchen.

Maybe the shower? Fi liked that idea. Maybe she could join him.

But he wasn't there either.

A strange hard feeling was settling in her stomach by now as she searched the apartment for him. Where had he gone? He hadn't headed out to work yet, had he? No, he wouldn't leave her behind without waking her up. Or at least leaving a note…

It took Fi awhile to realize some of his things were missing. A toothbrush, a couple suits, a couple handguns. Slowly, slowly, it started to sink in.

Michael had left. He had left her without a word.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	12. Chapter 11

Once Sam and Virgil closed the door behind them, Fi realized she was presented with an interesting choice. She could go home, spend the night there and continue to pretend that Samantha didn't exist. Or she could stay at Michael's loft. Samantha probably thought she had some higher hold on Michael because she was staying at his place. Fi was determined to prove to her that she was wrong. Did Samantha even know why Michael had left her in the first place? Of course... Fi didn't quite know what had gone on between the two of them while she pretended to be dead. Her eyes strayed to Michael's mattress. They hadn't... They wouldn't have... Would they?

Growling lowly to herself, Fi made her decision. She was staying here. It could be a silent fight for Michael between the two women. And Fi wouldn't say no if only one of them came out of it alive.

XxXxX

Georgia stared at Michael critically and Michael met her gaze, trying to discern her thoughts.

"I know you," she finally said. It was strange how normal her voice sounded.

"I'm Michael, remember?" Michael said slowly. "Michael Westen?"

Georgia's eyes suddenly flew wide with recognition and she pounced, hitting the large bruise that had formed from when she'd hit him before, and pressed down on his throat. "Westen," she hissed. "You stay away from my kids!"

"No, no!" Michael gasped past her grasp. "That was Frank, that was my father! Not me! I'm here to _help_ you, Georgia!" If he passed out _again_...! "I'm here to help you!"

Georgia relaxed slightly, frowning at him. "You're Michael..."

Michael nodded, rubbing his throat. "Yes. Frank's dead. You don't have to worry about him anymore," he assured her. "Your husband's worried about you, Georgia."

"Dead?" Georgia whispered. Michael sighed as he sat up to meet her eye level.

"Yes."

"How?"

"He was shot."

"Who shot him?"

Michael paused. It still hadn't quite sunk in that he'd killed his own father. It had all happened so fast...

"I did," he said finally. "So I can guarantee you, Georgia, that he won't be coming after you and your kids."

Georgia seemed to consider this, trying to decide whether or not she believed him. Michael glanced over to Johnny. He was still by the entrance of the hut, watching the exchange between his mother and Michael with wonder.

"Georgia," Michael said slowly, quietly. "You need to go home. Your husband's worried. And this lifestyle isn't good for Johnny. I'm sure you know that all too well." Plus there were apparently jaguars and a masked attacker out there...

Georgia's eyes flicked up to him. He'd struck a chord.

"What happened to Rose, Georgia?" he asked forcefully. If her death had some connection to the person who'd attacked Michael and those jaguars who chased Sam and Virgil... Georgia stared at him as if she were fishing for the right words.

"I... She... she fell behind... I didn't... She's so quiet... I thought... I didn't mean..."

Realization sunk into Michael painfully and he winced. She'd accidentally been the cause of her own daughter's death and was fully aware of that. Michael could relate. Just days ago, he'd thought he had killed Fi and it had nearly driven him crazy.

"It's okay," he whispered gently. "I understand."

XxXxX

With an over-exaggerated sigh, Samantha set down the magazine she was reading to glare at Fiona, who had been pacing the loft for what seemed like hours.

"Do you have the capability to sit still?"

Fi whirled, returning the glare. "Excuse me for being worried."

A slow rumble of thunder reached their ears and Fi glanced out the window. "And now he's going to get pneumonia."

"He'll be fine," Samantha said, returning to her magazine.

"How can you just _sit_ there?" Fi demanded. Samantha shut her eyes briefly before setting the magazine down again and meeting Fi's gaze calmly.

"What do you think we can do?" she asked. "We have no way to find him-"

"We haven't tried!"

"How do you suggest we _do_ that?" Samantha barked. "Look, I'm just as worried about him as you are. Maybe even more, but-"

Before Samantha could finish, however, Fi had stormed up to her. At the words "maybe even more", she snapped, serving Samantha a strong punch to the jaw. Samantha reeled at the impact, slowly raising a hand to rub her jaw, blinking against the pain.

"I'm not waiting any longer," Fi said, rage coating her voice. "I'll go find him myself."

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	13. Chapter 12

**Round 1 of the 2010 Burn Notice Fan Fiction Awards has begun! Vote Here (just take out the spaces): http:/ www. surveymonkey. com/ s/ BRGHL35**

"I don't _care _how busy she is, I need to talk to her!"

"Uh, ma'am?"

Lucy looked up from her paperwork finally, an amused smile playing on her lips. "Who is it?"

"Uh, Fiona Glenanne, ma'am." The receptionist glanced behind her warily.

"Tell her Michael's in trouble," came a growl from behind the door. Lucy's smile dropped. A visit from Fiona Glenanne was one type of trouble, the fact she was coming on Michael's behalf was a completely different kind of trouble.

"Let her in," she ordered urgently. The receptionist nodded, gratefully backing away as Fiona burst into Lucy's office.

"What did he do this time?" Lucy asked, standing up. Fiona smiled wryly.

"He's stuck in the Boondocks."

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Not exactly the best weather to be stuck out there in."

"Not really."

"I'll get some men out there," Lucy assured her. "How did this happen?"

Fi shook her head. "I'm not waiting any longer, Lucy. Get your men out there _now_ and I'm going with them. Sam Axe can explain to you what's going on."

Lucy paused, a bit taken aback by Fiona's steady ferocity. She nodded. "All right."

XxXxX

However well built Georgia's hut was, it was still utterly miserable when the storm started. Johnny huddled up close to his mother and fell asleep, while Georgia kept both eyes fixed on Michael at all times. He'd tried to explain to her that she needed to trust him, that her husband was worried about her and their son, that they all needed to go home, but none of it seemed to sink in. He'd even tried to explain it to Johnny, but Georgia had just about bit his head off for that.

So the three of them sat in silence as Michael tried to figure out what to do. Maybe he could knock Georgia out and drag her through the jungle. Yeah. That would go over well. Especially with the masked attacker and jaguars out there. And he didn't even know which way would lead him out. Michael was quickly getting extremely frustrated.

Both Georgia and Michael frowned when something unnatural reached their ears past the storm. It only took them a moment to realize what it was: a helicopter. Georgia's eyes wide, she scrambled to her feet, pulling Johnny up. Blinking past the sleep in his eyes, Johnny did as bid, not awake enough to understand.

"Run, Johnny, run!" Georgia bellowed as the helicopter grew closer. Michael pulled himself to his feet as well, wincing as his ribs screamed out in pain.

"What are you doing?" he barked, making a grab to stop Johnny from bolting out the entrance. Georgia snarled, standing in his way as Johnny disappeared into the storm.

"This is your fault!" she growled. "You brought them here! I'm not letting you hurt my son!"

Michael gave her the most incredulous look he could muster. "I'm not here to hurt your son, Georgia! I don't know who's in that chopper, but I can assure you-" He broke off in a cry of pain. Georgia had turned her back on him momentarily before whirling around and thrusting a small branch of wood into Michael's shoulder. His legs gave way under the pain and he collapsed as Georgia slipped her arms under Michael's, dragging him out of the hut.

As soon as they were out in the open several people slid down from the chopper, machine guns ready. Pushing past the pain, Michael scrambled to his feet, shielding Georgia.

"Don't shoot!"

Michael blinked, confused. He knew that voice rather well. Peering through the heavy rain, he saw two slender female figures step forward. Fiona _and_ Samantha? Damn. And both of them were still alive!

He heard a sudden rustling behind him and turned quickly to see Georgia bolting away into the trees.

"No!" he bellowed, taking a step forward to follow her before remembering the gash in his shoulder and halting. He wouldn't make it out there in this condition. Orders to follow her reached his ears and he turned back, holding out a hand to stop them.

"You'll only scare her!" he told them, trying to keep the pleading tone out of his voice. He wasn't quite sure how well that worked. The men backed down, lowering their weapons. Samantha jogged up to him, pulling something out of her pocket and showing it to Michael.

"Tracking device," she informed him. "I took it from your loft. I'll go after her."

Michael frowned, surprised. "Sam..."

Samantha shook her head quickly before Michael could protest. "No, Michael. I'm not letting her lose another kid."

Michael stayed quiet, realizing this had turned into something personal for Samantha. Johnny and Charlie had been the same age...

Without another word, Samantha sprinted after Georgia, soon swallowed up by the trees and rain. Michael stared after her, wondering vaguely if he'd ever see his ex-fiance alive again.

A sudden touch against the gash on his shoulder snapped him out of it.

"Ah!" he hissed, turning to see Fiona had walked up to him and was pulling away his shirt from the wound. He stared at the top of her head, wishing he could see her expression. After a moment, Fiona's hands fell to her side.

"You're going to need professional help with that one."

Michael glanced at the wound. Bits of the branch were still stuck in his shoulder and blood was making a rather large stain on the already ruined shirt. After a moment, he looked back up to her.

"How did you find me?" he asked quietly.

"Heat signals," she replied easily. Michael raised an eyebrow but didn't question her.

"Where's Sam and Virgil? Did they make it out okay?"

Fi nodded. "Sam's explaining the situation to Lucy-"

"Lucy?" Michael interrupted. Fi gave him a small grin.

"Yeah. The chopper, the guys and equipment are thanks to her," she explained. "Virgil's with your mom. Apparently she just about had a heart attack when they told her you were stuck out here. He's trying to calm her down."

Michael smiled wryly, very clearly seeing Maddy reacting just as Fiona had described in his mind's eye. A silence settled between him and Fi uncomfortably and Fi stepped back, shaking the silence off.

"We should get you home."

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	14. Chapter 13

An escape is never easy, whether it's from prison or a tedious meeting. It's even harder when you're trying to escape from someone you don't want to hurt. A family that's too far beyond broken. A fiance when you've realized you love someone else. A girlfriend after a bad operation. A woman bent on keeping you out of commission while you're actually trying to save her life.

But you have to learn how to hurt them without beating yourself up about it. Because, sometimes, you don't have any other choice.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	15. Chapter 14

**Round 2 of the 2010 Burn Notice Fan Fiction Awards start today! Vote here (just take out the spaces): http:/ www. surveymonkey. com/ s/ P92YJWC**

**Thank you to everyone who's voted who's gotten Monsters to the second round! I'm so happy!**

"I don't usually ask this but what happened?"

Michael winced as George pulled out yet another splinter from his shoulder. "I was stabbed," he answered simply through gritted teeth. George raised an eyebrow.

"With a tree?"

"Something like that."

George gave him a strange look before turning his attention back to Michael's shoulder. After pulling out all the wood, he started to stitch the wound up. However, he didn't get very far before his phone rang. He backed away, standing up and he pulled his phone out and answered it.

Michael turned his attention to Fi who, while her back was to him, was sitting beside him on the mattress reading a magazine. He realized after a second that this was one of those moments where he was hyper aware of her: her scent, the heat her body was giving off, how smooth her skin looked, the curves of her body...

"I apologize, but one of my other clients has an emergency that I need to attend to right away," George said, tone urgent, breaking Michael's reverie. George turned to Fi who had looked up from her magazine. "Would you be able to finish stitching up his shoulder?"

Fi gave him a short, silent nod. George turned his attention back to Michael. "I don't think I need to tell you this, but don't use your arm too much for a while."

"Course," Michael replied, nodding his understanding.

"Call if you need anything," George said before hurrying out the door.

It was quiet in the loft for a brief moment before Fiona set the magazine down on the bedside table and turned around to face Michael. Without meeting his eyes, she silently finished stitching up the wound. Michael watched her intently, reveling in her soft touch.

_She's alive,_ he told himself. _She's alive._

XxXxX

Fiona was very aware of Michael's eyes fixed on her. Usually she would've played around with it, but this time it just... grated on her. She wanted to look up and smack him hard across the face just to stop him from staring. This was ridiculous.

When she came to the last stitch, she found herself suddenly slowing down. Finishing up meant she would have to actually acknowledge the fact Michael was alive. Grudgingly, she looked up to meet his hard gaze, meaning to make some flippant comment before turning back to her magazine. However, she found herself caught in his eyes.

Fiona had always been the type to use a guy and throw him away without any further thought. But somehow Michael had broken that trend... Somehow... and she could never figure out how, Fiona had fallen in love.

When Michael's eyes flicked down to her lips momentarily, Fiona's heart jumped to her throat. She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted him to kiss her so bad that it ached. But, at the same time, she didn't. She wasn't ready to give up to him. Not yet.

But she couldn't move away. Instead, she found she was glancing at his lips...

Both of them jumped when someone knocked on the door. A strange mix of relief and disappointment washing through her, Fi hurried to answer the door.

"Who are you?" William asked, confused. Fi growled. He knew who Samantha was but had no clue who _she_ was.

"Fiona."

"She's a friend, William," Michael called before William could ask any further questions. "Come on in."

Nervously, William walked past Fiona, looking around awkwardly.

"What is it?" Michael asked. William bit his lip.

"Did you find her?"

Michael sighed, slowly pulling himself off the mattress and to his feet. "I found your wife and your son."

William relaxed, an obvious wave of relief washing over him. Michael winced.

"But," he continued quickly, "William... This is going to be hard for you to hear."

William tensed up again, frowning at Michael suspiciously.

"A combination of being out in the jungle for a couple days, fear and grief has taken it's toll on your wife," Michael told him slowly. "She's, ah..."

"Gone off the deep end," Fi supplied bluntly, moving between the two men to the fridge. Michael scowled at her, finding himself distracted temporarily by her close proximity as she walked by before wrenching his attention back to William. Michael sighed at the horrified expression on William's face.

"We're still going to try to get her back, William, calm down," he said quickly. "Samantha is out there right now looking. And I'll be joining her as soon as I can."

Out of the corner of his eye, Michael saw Fi look up suddenly and stare at him. He could honestly feel the heat of her glare from where he was, but ignored it.

"William," he said again, trying to pull the terrified man back into reality. "William, listen to me."

William looked up slowly, seeming like he was on the brink of tears.

"Even if we do find her and manage to get her to trust us, things are never going to be the same for you," Michael told him in a deliberate tone. "Rose is dead. We also have to find Johnny, who was separated from Georgia. Georgia herself is going to need intense therapy. If we find her and bring her back to you, you're not going to be able to go back to your old life. Do you understand?"

William nodded mutely, the tears in his eyes threatening to spill. Michael watched him for a moment, making sure William really did understand.

"All right. Good. Now, one of us will call you if anything happens, okay?"

"Okay," William replied, voice hoarse. Michael nodded.

"All right. We're trying our best, okay?"

William opened his mouth like he was about to reply but decided not to, simply nodding and turning to walk back out the door. Michael watched him leave with a heavy sigh.

"You'll be joining her as soon as you can?"

Michael winced, gathering himself up before turning to face Fiona. "Yes, Fi."

"You realize you're going to kill yourself?" she asked, voice strangely calm.

"I'm not dead yet-"

"I realize this, Michael, but that doesn't mean you're not going to get yourself killed!"

"Fi-"

"Don't 'Fi' me!" she screeched, storming out from behind the counter. "I've had enough of this recklessness, Michael! I'm serious! What happens when you go out there trying to save the world and don't come back? What do I do? What does Sam do? What does your mom do?"

"Fi, I can't leave Samantha-"

"I don't care about Samantha," Fiona hissed, dropping her voice dangerously low. Michael paused, taken aback by the amount of venom in her tone. The two of them stared at each other, the tension making the air almost unbreathable, until Fiona shook her head, disgusted. She held his eyes briefly again, as if she were trying to come up with something to say. But without a word, she stormed past him, out the door, slamming it loudly behind her.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	16. Chapter 15

Sleep came uneasily. It was one of the first times Michael had been able to hit the sack after the whole Frank Westen incident and repressed memories of his childhood had decided it would be a good time to haunt his dreams. He was almost grateful when the sound of someone opening the gate outside crept through his sleep and woke him up. Immediately rolling over to grab his SIG from under his pillow, Michael stood, frowning when he recognized the voice outside.

"Maddy, please! Will you calm down? He's fine, he's probably trying to rest! You're going to-"

"Michael," Maddy said in a falsely sweet tone when she flung open the door. Michael tucked the SIG in his pants quickly, trying to smile at her but failing quite miserably. Virgil showed up behind her, wincing when he saw Michael obviously had been trying to rest and giving him an apologetic look over Maddy's head.

"You're alive," said Maddy, her voice still coated with too much sugar. Michael cocked his head back and forth.

"Yes. I am."

"You could've told me."

Michael sighed, closing his eyes and walking away to the fridge. When in doubt, hide behind yogurt.

"I was a little distracted, Ma."

"With _what_?" she demanded, storming after her. Michael saw Virgil wince again, taking a step to follow her, but decided better of it and stayed by the door. Michael gritted his teeth hard and jabbed a finger towards his stitches.

"That."

Maddy frowned at it, softening ever so slightly but not quite as much as Michael would have expected. "What did you do?"

"I was stabbed," Michael said, trying desperately not to let the amount of aggravation he was feeling be portrayed in his voice.

"By the masked guy?"

"No, by..." Michael sighed heavily. "By the woman we're trying to help."

Maddy raised an eyebrow at that but, luckily, didn't push too much in that direction. "And is she okay now?"

Michael's mouth twisted and he opted to take a bite of the yogurt before answering. "No. Samantha's out there now looking for her. She's got a tracking device on her so she's safer than I was out there. And I'll be joining her once I can."

Michael looked up from the yogurt to see Maddy's eyes had darkened dangerously. His own eyes widening, he straightened, surprised at how menacing she looked.

"Ma?"

"How long is Samantha going to be here, Michael?" she asked, her voice low. Michael frowned.

"I don't know. As long as she wants."

Maddy shook her head. "Why doesn't she go home?"

Michael's frown deepened. This was weird. Coming from Fi, he could understand it, but from Maddy? What was going on?

"She just lost her son, Ma."

"And now she's trying to tear you away from Fiona."

Michael felt his jaw drop as he stared blankly at his mother. "Ma!"

"None of us like her, Michael," Maddy said simply, meeting his gaze all too calmly. Michael blinked at her dumbly and looked over her head to see Virgil looked rather grim.

"Ma..." Michael whispered. She shook her head angrily before Michael could continue.

"Once you've helped this woman in the jungle out, talk to Samantha. Get her to go home." She gave him a hard stare to let the point of her statement sink in. Virgil quickly scurried up behind her, realizing that if this went any further it could honestly get dangerous. He grabbed her elbow, easily steering her away from Michael and out the door. Before following her, however, he paused, looking over to Michael sympathetically.

"Sorry," he said. Michael didn't reply, he didn't even look up from where he was staring deep into his yogurt. Virgil watched him for a second, trying to interpret the blank look on Michael's face before quickly shutting the door behind him and running after Maddy.

Michael's mind barely even registered that he was alone in the loft now. He was running over the conversation with Maddy over and over again, the strange looks on her face imprinted in his mind's eye. He could really only think of one time he had seen her quite so angry: when she'd had to betray her friend Tina. But then she had had a truly good reason. Michael had never been able to blame her for being angry. This?

Sure, Maddy had always loved Fiona and had been a bit upset when she'd found out that Michael had been engaged to Samantha without telling anyone, but he never got the impression she had anything against Samantha personally! Being angry in general just wasn't something Madeline did. That had always been Frank.

Or maybe Michael really had just been living in a different world for the past couple days.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	17. Chapter 16

**Results for the 2010 Burn Notice Fan Fiction Awards are up! Check them out here (remember to take out the spaces!): http:/ community. livejournal. com/ bn_fanficawards/ 2120. html**

**Thank you to everyone who voted! Monsters made it to an honorable mention and I'm so happy about that!**

"Seems like it's lucky for you that I like Miami."

Michael smiled grimly as he sat down next to Jason Bly at a counter in a small diner. "Seems like it."

Bly chuckled slightly, shaking his head. "What is it this time?"

"It's long a story, but would you have any idea why there would be a pack of jaguars and a ninja-like guy out in the Boondocks?"

Bly chocked on his drink and looked up to give Michael an incredulous stare. "You're serious?"

Michael pursed his lips unhappily. "Yeah."

"Jaguars and a ninja?"

"Not actually a ninja, but yes."

"In the Boondocks?"

Michael growled. "Yes. I take it you have no clue."

Bly shook his head, holding a hand to his mouth. "No, but I can look into it. Do you have any more information than that?"

"Nope."

Bly eyed Michael for a moment. "Right. I'll give you a call."

Michael forced a smile, standing up and placing a hand on Bly's shoulder. "Thanks."

"No problem, Michael. Stay out of trouble."

"Always do," Michael replied as he walked away. Bly chuckled darkly.

"Sure you do," he muttered before taking another swig of his drink.

XxXxX

A short rap at her door made Lucy look up just in time to see Michael let himself in. She frowned at him for a second, taking him in to see how bad the damage was before smiling wryly and shaking her head.

"How're you feeling?"

"I've been better," Michael answered, walking over to perch on the edge of her desk. "I've been worse."

"I heard the woman you were trying to save stabbed you," Lucy said conversationally. Michael tried to shrug, wincing at the strain on his shoulder. Lucy watched him, not sure whether to be amused or concerned.

"What, exactly, did she stab you with again?"

Michael cocked his head to the side. "A branch," he said slowly. Lucy raised an eyebrow.

"A branch," she repeated. "Please tell me you went to a hospital."

Michael grinned slightly. "Sam's got a buddy-"

"Of course he does," Lucy interrupted exasperatedly. She paused, watching Michael before asking, "Why are you here, Michael?"

Michael shrugged again, making sure to only use his uninjured shoulder. "I figured I owed you something, Lucy."

Lucy shook her head. "Just promise me you're not going out there again."

Michael sighed. "I have to, Lucy. Georgia's still out there _and_ her kid. As well as Samantha. I'm going out as soon as I can."

Lucy glared at him. "Then how do you expect to pay me back?"

"I was thinking lunch?"

Lucy laughed shortly. Michael gave her a smile, blinking innocently. She tried to bite back the smile but finally shook her head, amused.

"Fine. Give me fifteen minutes to wrap a few things up. I'll join you downstairs."

XxXxX

"So how, exactly, does Fiona feel about having Samantha around?"

Michael looked up from his food, staring briefly at Lucy like a deer in the headlights. She laughed at the look on his face.

"She can't be entirely thrilled, right?"

Michael growled, swallowing the food in his mouth before answering. "No, she's not. Fi's never really been exactly polite to any woman I've ever had any sort of romantic relationship with."

"So I take it she doesn't know about us."

Michael looked up again, surprised. "Uh. That didn't really last that long..."

Lucy smiled, shaking her head. "No, it didn't."

There was an awkward pause in the conversation as Michael hurriedly went back to his sandwich. He'd always been able to avoid this awkward topic with Lucy. They both had never really felt the need to talk about it. It had been short. Stupid. And both had realized it after a week or two. The actual "relationship" had really only consisted of sex, anyway. They were better off just being friends. Partners. Nothing more.

"So Sam said something about jaguars and a ninja."

Michael stopped stuffing the sandwich in his mouth, grateful for the change of topic. As he swallowed, he nodded.

"That's why we were separated. I've already got feelers out, trying to learn what I can, but do you...?"

"Know anything?" Lucy finished for him. She shook her head. "No. Have to admit it's a bit baffling. Did they attack you guys specifically?"

Michael nodded. "It seemed like it, anyway. Except for the fact the guy had me pinned and then just... ran off."

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "That's odd."

"Exactly. You think you could look into it?"

She shrugged. "I can try."

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	18. Chapter 17

Silence isn't exactly one of Fi's favorite things. Might be why she likes her C4 so much: it's not entirely quiet. Silence tends to grate on her nerves. Makes her edgy. It's one of the many problems she has with Michael. While he does lead a life that calls for a lot of C4 and bars blaring loud music, he's not a man of many words. And that's fine, he doesn't need to talk. She just... wishes he'd make a little more noise.

When they first started dating, Fi would try to get him to make some noise by making some noise herself. She'd yell, she'd scream, she'd make one hell of a fuss. Call it a temper tantrum, a hissy fit, whatever. That's what she did. Didn't take long before she realized that wasn't working.

So now she just contributes to the silence.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	19. Chapter 18

_A/N: I'd just like to take a moment and say YESSSS to last night's episode. I can promise you there will be at least one thing coming from me in relation to it._

The tension in the loft was suffocating. Everyone could feel it pressing on them harder and harder. But none of them did anything about it. Instead, they continued what they were doing in silence, turning their focus onto their work rather than the other people in the room.

Michael was a bit exasperated at it all. Sam and Fi were both extremely unhappy about Michael going back out to help Samantha. Realizing it was futile to argue, however, they settled on making sure Michael was more prepared than last time. Fi was putting together as much C4 and guns as Michael could carry, while Sam put a tracking device in Michael's phone and rigging a cheap pair of radios to work farther distances apart. He and Fi would be waiting with one of the radios, ready to come to the rescue if needed.

Michael, at their insistence, was trying to rest which he was finding rather hard due to the increasing tension in the room. When his phone finally broke the silence, Michael sat up fast, practically vaulting himself to where Sam had set down his phone.

"Sam!" he greeted into the phone. Both Sam and Fi looked up, surprised and curious to know what Samantha had to say.

_"Michael, my coverage is bad, I'm lucky I got through anyway, but Georgia's dead."_

Michael froze, feeling his stomach sink to his toes. First Rose, now Georgia. This was turning out to be one of his worst jobs.

"How?" he asked quietly, motioning for either Sam or Fi to look up where Samantha was on the computer. Sam slid around Michael to sit in front of the laptop sitting out.

_"I'm guessing it was the same guy who attacked you. Dressed in black and masked. I showed up just as he was leaving. Georgia was already dead."_

Michael pursed his lips. This mystery man in the jungle had shown up and messed with Michael's life again. Michael found himself wishing it was all one big coincidence... But somehow he got the feeling it wasn't.

Sam had pushed the laptop over to Michael could see the screen showing him exactly where Samantha was. "All right, Sam's got your location here. We're going to bring you home."

Fi had looked back down to the C4 she was working with but now looked up suddenly, staring at Michael and mouthing "home" incredulously. Michael didn't notice.

_"What? No! Michael! Johnny's still out here!"_ Samantha argued. _"There's still a chance for him!"_

Michael paused, turning his back to Sam and Fi's staring eyes. "Sam, what is the likeliness of him still being alive?"

_"There's still a chance, Michael,"_ Samantha bit angrily._ "I'm not going to give up on him until I've seen his body."_

Michael bit his lip before replying. "Samantha..." he started slowly. "He's not Charlie."

Samantha gave him a short sardonic laugh. _"Do you really think I don't know that, Michael?"_

Michael winced at the dangerous tone in her voice. "Don't move. I'm coming to help you."

XxXxX

_"Did you find her?"_

Michael paused, grimacing at the hopeful tone in William's voice. "We found her body, William."

A terrible silence greeted Michael's ear over the receiver. Michael fought with himself for a moment. He always tried to avoid being the one to tell a victim's family about the death. Back when he'd had a real job he'd never had to worry about it. Nowadays he just tried to make sure either Sam or Fi could be the bearer of bad news. But Sam had never spoken to William and Fi had only briefly met him. The task fell to Michael's shoulders. And he wasn't quite sure how to handle it.

"I'm so sorry, William. I really am."

William didn't reply. When Michael heard the soft click of William hanging up, he figured he could only hope what he said had been enough.

XxXxX

"You didn't have to do this, Michael."

Michael handed Samantha one of the bags, leaving his injured arm free. He winced as Samantha took the bag and massaged his shoulder gently before answering.

"Yes I did. It's my fault we're in this mess."

Samantha raised an eyebrow at him. "It's your fault your dad was insane?"

Michael simply glared at her. She shook her head, amused. "The only person who's fault this is is your dad. And he's dead now, so there's no point in placing blame."

Michael shook his head as if to brush off the topic. "We should get moving."

The two of them walked in silence for a long time, an odd tension building between them. Michael couldn't help but think of the argument he'd had with Maddy earlier. Should he say something to Samantha? It was her life, he didn't have any right to tell her what to do. But he knew Maddy and Fi both felt like Samantha was trying to pry him away from Fi. He wasn't going to let that happen but all the same.

Well. He sort of _had_ let that happen, hadn't he? When Fi had supposedly been dead, hadn't Michael been considering starting something up with Samantha again? And where was he now? With Samantha out in this forsaken jungle while Fi waited with Sam.

Michael glanced at Samantha out of the corner of his eye. What could he do?

His train of thought was wrecked, though, when a sudden screeching of metal filled the air. Michael looked around frantically, trying to find the source and saw a large metal cage dropping down from the trees. Scrambling backwards to avoid getting caught, Michael blanched at it. What the hell was going on in this jungle?

When the cage hit the ground and settled, Michael glanced up to see Samantha staring at the cage as well, seeming just as bewildered as he felt.

Except she was caught inside of it.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	20. Chapter 19

"This is starting to get ridiculous," Samantha said, looking around at the bars surrounding her.

"Starting?" Michael repeated, walking up to the bars to see if he could somehow get her out.

"I'm beginning to wonder if this jungle is cursed," Samantha said with a sigh, moving to sit and wait for Michael to free her. However, she stopped, staring at something behind Michael. Michael frowned at her.

"Uh," Samantha said quietly. "Speaking of..."

Michael paused, feeling eyes locked on the back of his head. In one fluid movement, he whirled around, pulling out the handgun he had tucked in the back of his pants. Before he could shoot, though, his victim rolled out of the way, behind the trees. Michael hissed angrily, peering through the brush to see who it was. A flurry of black hurtled out of the trees towards Michael who groaned. It was the masked attacker.

Michael sidestepped the attacker easily, but it seemed as if his movement had been expected. The attacker swung a clenched fist towards Michael's face and before Michael could react, the fist collided with his jaw. Reeling at the impact, Michael stumbled backwards blinking against the shock. Still not quite recovered, he rushed at the attacker, wrapping his arms around the attacker's torso and shoving him backwards. To Michael's frustration, the attacker recovered easily and threw a high kick at him. His heel made contact with Michael's shoulder, right on the stitches.

Michael fell back, hitting his head hard on one of the metal bars holding back Samantha. He blinked widely, trying to push past the dizziness but not before the attacker leapt forward with a small dagger he'd produced. He placed a strong arm on Michael's shoulder and held it steady as he used the dagger to easily slice through the stitches and dig into the wound. Michael screamed as he felt the cold metal sink deep into his muscle, twisting as the attacker's fingers continued to grasp harder and harder on the dagger. White hot pain flashed through his arm. A dark haze covered his vision. A loud ringing filled his ears. Michael knew he was falling, crumbling to the ground, open to attack. But he couldn't do anything about it.

XxXxX

As soon as Michael slumped to the ground, the attacker straightened, seeming to stare at Samantha for a second before turning heel and disappearing into the trees. Samantha stared open mouthed after him. What the hell?

Shaking off the confusion, Samantha knelt down closer to Michael's level and reached an arm out through the metal bars. His eyes were mostly shut, glazed over in agonizing pain and his breath was coming out in short, ragged gasps.

"Michael," she hissed, placing a hand on his cheek. His skin was cool to touch, making Samantha's heart sink further than it already had. "No," she breathed. "Michael!"

"Sam," he sputtered, his voice rough. "Don't..." He gasped suddenly, closing his eyes. Samantha grabbed his uninjured shoulder and shook.

"Michael, stay with me, please! Hang on!"

But he didn't respond, putting all of his energy into simply trying to breathe.

Samantha looked around frantically. What could she do? She was locked in this stupid cage, unable to really reach him well enough to help. And she could easily see he was steadily getting worse. The amount of blood pouring from his shoulder was enough to already be a large problem and it wasn't slowing down.

The radio! Samantha jumped to her feet, scrambling over to where she'd dropped her equipment and snatched up the radio.

"Sam! Fiona!" she called into it desperately.

_"What is it?"_ Sam's voice crackled.

"We're in trouble," Samantha told him quickly. "I'm locked in some cage-like contraption and the masked attacker showed up again. Michael's in a bad spot, Sam. He needs help. Quickly."

_"We'll be right there."_

XxXxX

Fi had sprinted ahead of Sam, skidding to a stop when she finally saw Michael's slumped form on the ground.

"Michael!" she cried, trying not to panic as she slid to Michael's side. Blood spilling onto her and staining her clothes, Fi felt her heart jump to her throat as she tried to gage just how bad his wound was.

"Michael," she whispered, running a blood soaked hand across his cheek. "Michael, can you hear me?"

Michael didn't reply, the only sounds coming from his lips uneven gasps for breath. His eyes flitted around wildly, blindly. Fi clenched her teeth, eyes flashing between his paling face and his still freely bleeding shoulder. The sound of Sam's feet pounding up closer behind her made her stand and turn.

"He's dying, Sam."

Sam didn't say anything, sliding to his knees and dropping his medical kit beside him. Fi watched him, every muscle in her body tense. She'd _told_ him! She'd known something like this would happen!

_"__What happens when you go out there trying to save the world and don't come back?"_

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	21. Chapter 20

"Someone booby-trapped his front door, Mike," Sam said into the phone grimly. "They blew him up."

There was a pause over the line and Sam felt as if the air had just dropped dramatically in temperature. A loud booming noise filled his ear and Sam had to jerk the phone away. Dammit, no! Sam stared back to the sniper's house in panic, the taste of bile in the back of his throat. This wasn't happening. This was _not_ happening.

Without a further moment of hesitation, Sam bolted back to his car, jamming his keys into the ignition. He didn't even bother to put his seatbelt on, he simply slammed on the gas. He drove on autopilot, praying to anyone, any_thing_ that he'd been able to give Mike enough warning.

He was opening the door, running to Mike's gate and bursting through before the car came to full halt. The sight that greeted his eyes made something inside of Sam twist painfully. Mike's front door was gone, a smoldering opening in its place. The Charger's roof had a human-sized dent, bits of rubble all over it. And laying beside the Charger was Mike, burned, bruised, scrapped and...

"Damn you, Mikey, you better not be dead," Sam growled, kneeling to his friend's side and checking his pulse. Good, there was one: faint but regular. Sam grabbed a strong hold of Mike's shoulder and shook.

"Mike! Mike! _Mike!_"

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	22. Chapter 21

After too many long moments of watching Sam fuss over Michael, who'd fallen unconscious by now, Fi had to avert her eyes. She'd tried to ask if Michael was going to live, but Sam had only grunted in reply. The pressure was building up inside of her as she watched, the blood covering herself, Michael, Sam and the ground only seeming to get redder and more menacing. Finally looking away, Fi found herself examining the cage Samantha stood in. Samantha noticed and caught Fi's eyes, frowning. Fi sighed irritably when their eyes met, quickly turning her attention back to the cage.

There. Up at the top of the cage there was some sort of latch. Fi frowned at it critically, trying to decide how to get up there. She might've been able to climb up the cage itself but it was way too humid for that to work without her slipping. It seemed like monkeying herself up a tree would be the best plan of action.

Working to hard to ignore Samantha's eyes fixed on her, Fi lodged her fingers in the bark of one particularly promising tree and began to shimmy her way up. Once she was high enough, she launched herself over to the cage, landing solidly on top. Grinning slightly to herself in satisfaction, Fi crawled over to the latch, finding it was surprisingly easy to open. Apparently who ever had set it had counted on the victim not having a couple friends around to help.

Fi poked her head through the opening. "Throw me the bag," she said calmly. Samantha blinked for a moment, still surprised Fi was helping her. Jerkily, she scurried to the bag of equipment and heaved it upwards. Fi barely caught it, almost tumbling into the cage herself as the weight of the bag sank in. Grunting, she hauled it up and shuffled through its contents until she found what she was looking for: rope. She tossed the bag over the side, making care to avoid hitting Sam and Michael, before letting down the rope for Samantha to climb up and tying it securely to one of the bars.

Samantha continued to stare at Fiona as if she were unsure whether to trust climbing the rope or not. This wasn't some cruel trick, was it? And if not... why was Fiona helping her? After a moment of consideration, Samantha grabbed the rope firmly and began to climb. Why not give Fiona the benefit of the doubt?

After hauling herself up onto the top of the cage, Samantha looked up to meet Fi's eyes questioningly.

"You..."

"Don't take it personally," Fi said dismissively. Before Samantha could say anything further, Fi turned her back, lightly jumping to the ground below. Samantha stared after her blankly before silently following suit.

When both women's feet were on the ground, Sam stood, wiping off his hands with a wet towel. He turned to them grimly, making something twist painfully around Fi's heart.

"He's still alive," he told them. "But barely. I can't do anything more, personally. He's just lost too much blood. If I don't get him out of this forsaken jungle soon, we'll all be attending his funeral in the next couple days."

Fi nodded curtly. "Go. I'll stay out here and help look for Johnny."

Both Sam and Samantha stared at her in surprise as Fi bit down hard on her tongue. Why the hell had she said that? She was volunteering to be stuck out here in the jungle with Michael's ex-fiance! That was sure to go over well.

Only a mere second passed before Sam nodded, leaning back down to hoist Michael's limp body up. "Be careful," he told the women harshly. "Stay in contact. I want to hear from you at least every two hours."

Fi pushed back the urge to literally push Sam into moving. "Go," she hissed. "Tell us when he's stable."

Because Michael had to stabilize. She wasn't going to give him the option of not doing so. If she had to spend the next who knows how long with Samantha, by heavens, Michael was not allowed to die.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	23. Chapter 22

There was no doubt things were awkward as Fi and Samantha made their way through the jungle. Fi still couldn't believe she'd volunteered to do this, while Samantha was just surprised she had. Both were worried about Sam and Michael and after a long while, Samantha finally voiced it.

"Do you think he'll be all right?"

It was just a conversation starter. She couldn't think of anything better to say. Fiona stopped walking, glaring at her hard.

"You know why he left you?"

Samantha stopped as well, turning to frown at the other woman. Fiona felt the venom seeping through her, deadly and dangerous, ready to strike. She knew she shouldn't: this was just vindictive and stupid. But she didn't stop.

"He left you because he met me," she seethed. "So back off."

Without a further word, Fi stormed past Samantha, continuing onward. Samantha stared blankly at where Fi had been, letting this information sink in. It was true Fiona could be lying, but somehow Samantha got the terrible feeling she wasn't. Michael had left her for Fiona. Had the two of them been in a relationship before he'd broken it off with Samantha? Or had Michael waited until he'd called off the engagement?

Did it matter?

XxXxX

"This guy's been having a hell of a time lately, hasn't he?" George asked as he finished patching up Michael. Sam tried to smile but it came out as more of a grimace. He could only attribute getting out of the jungle, calling George and making it back to the loft with Michael still alive to pure luck. The entire time he had been certain Michael wasn't going to make it. Even George had said it had to be an act of God that Michael was still breathing however shallow and ragged his breaths may be.

"First poisoned, then stabbed, now this," George continued, moving to put his equipment back in his bag. "Someone's really got it out for him."

"Strangely enough, all three were delivered by different people, though," Sam pointed out gruffly. George raised an eyebrow as he stood up to Sam's level but shook his head.

"Not my business, I suppose." He threw a glance back to Michael. "I think he's stable now. If he gets worse or anything else happens, you know my number. Let me know when he wakes up, too. I'll want to check him out before he gets back into action."

"Of course," Sam said quietly, eyes fixed worriedly on Michael's unconscious form. George waited for a moment before nodding to himself and letting himself out the door. Sam jumped ever so slightly when the door clicked shut. A moment of internal struggle, then he moved to sit down on the mattress next to Michael.

"Come on, Mikey. I know you. You can pull through. I know you can."

At least... Sam hoped he could.

XxXxX

"Maddy, I just got a call from Sam."

Maddy looked up to see Virgil approaching her warily. Virgil winced at the strange look on her face before continuing.

"I figured you might want to know..."

"What?" Maddy demanded, standing up and walking closer. "Want to know what?"

Virgil winced again. "Apparently things didn't go well again out in the jungle."  
"Meaning _what_?"

"Mike's hurt bad. He's lucky to still be alive. He's patched up and supposedly stable," he said quickly before Maddy could interrupt, "but things still aren't good for him right now. He'll be out of commission for a while."

Maddy stared at him, wide-eyed. Suddenly she turned, snatching her purse. Virgil frowned at her as she gave him a hard look.

"We're going to go see him."

Virgil grabbed her by the arm to prevent her from storming out the door. "No, we're not," he said stubbornly. "He needs to rest, Madeline. He still might not make it if something goes wrong."

"Which is exactly why we need to go see him!" Maddy yelled, a look of panic settling in her eyes. "I'm not going to let my son _die_ before I can say goodbye!" She yanked her arm out of Virgil's grasp and hurried out the door, letting it slam shut behind her.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	24. Chapter 23

Madeline had been able to deal with Frank's bullying towards her. Sure, she didn't like it and would spend most of her time after Nate's birth crying but she hadn't tortured herself over it. Once Frank started on her children, though...

She could remember the first time Frank turned on Michael. He had been six years old. He'd caught the flu and was home from school watching television with a bucket beside the couch. Madeline wasn't quite sure how it started since she hadn't been in the room but she remembered hearing Michael throw up closely followed by Frank's terrible roar. She hadn't realized Frank was home until then and hurried out to the living room to see her husband serving her son a hard kick to the stomach.

Madeline had only stood there in shock and horror as Frank continued to beat Michael. She realized after a moment that Michael had thrown up on the floor and Frank was determined to make Michael clean it up himself. Michael weakly protested that he was sick, tired and in pain, but it didn't make any difference. Finally she recognized that she had to do something or else Frank might actually seriously hurt the small six-year-old.

Yelling Frank's name and stepping forward, Madeline tried to reason with him. As soon as he turned towards her, though, she saw reasoning would do no good: Frank was more drunk than she could ever remember seeing him. With a loud bellow of rage, Frank back handed her across the face and Madeline fell back.

Though Madeline learned to not try to fight Frank, she never stopped beating herself up when one of her sons came to her for help in the aftermath. Frank was so much larger than either of them and Madeline was painfully aware that every beating could be the last for that child. Until Michael had started to fight back, Frank was only one well placed blow away from killing one of his sons.

And Madeline had no idea how she would survive if that happened.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	25. Chapter 24

The sound of something exploding shook Samantha out of her thoughts. She turned toward the sound to see it had been the direction Fiona had disappeared. Without thinking, Samantha sprinted through the brush. She didn't get far before she found Fiona. She was on the ground, a smoking bush only feet in front of her. Samantha hurried to her side, relief flowing through her as Fiona groaned and rolled over.

"What happened?" Samantha demanded, taking in the burns on Fiona's body. Fiona sat up, hissing as the fabric of her clothes brushed against the burns.

"Mine, I think. I didn't get a good look at it."

Samantha stood up quickly, looking around for any sign of the masked attacker. A few moments passed and Fiona stood up as well. Still nothing. Samantha let out a breath of relief.

"Seems like that was it this time-" she said just before being cut off by a loud roar. Samantha jumped instinctively as a blur of black fur shot past. A strangled scream of frustration and Samantha realized the jaguar was on top of Fiona.

The pair of the them rolled away from Samantha but she could tell Fiona was losing. Samantha pulled up her gun, trying to find a clear shot. Their tussling was too fierce, though, and Samantha knew the possibility of hitting Fiona was high.

"Shoot it!" Fiona screeched. Samantha bit her lip. She didn't and wouldn't have a clear shot. She could kill Fiona. But if she didn't take the chance, the chances of Fiona dying were one hundred percent. Samantha closed her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath before snapping her eyes open and letting out a few rounds.

The tussle stopped, the jaguar falling into a heap on top of Fiona. Samantha stared in horror, waiting for any sign of life. Finally something shuffled under the jaguar's body and Fiona shoved it off with a grunt.

Samantha rushed to her side, grabbing her hand to help her to her feet.

"Are you okay?" she asked as Fiona brushed herself off and reached down to grab the gun she had dropped.

"Fine," Fiona said shortly as she straightened back up. "Duck."

Samantha wasn't quite sure why she didn't hesitate. She dropped immediately to the ground just as Fiona let out a couple of shots at something behind Samantha. When Fiona finally stopped, Samantha turned and stood to see another dead jaguar slumped over on the ground. Samantha turned back to Fiona, letting out a deep breath.

"Thanks, by the way," Fiona said casually as she tucked away her gun. Samantha blinked at her for a moment before shrugging.

"You got me out of that trap back there."

"And I just saved your life," Fiona pointed out. "So we're not even yet."

Samantha stared at her, trying to decipher Fiona's tone. "I guess not," she said slowly. Fiona moved to gather up their supplies and Samantha followed suit, still confused. She would never understand the ex-IRA, would she?

"Sorry about what I said earlier."

No. No, she wouldn't. Samantha looked up to see Fiona was still not looking in her direction.

"Was it true?"

Now Fiona looked over. She paused. "Yes."

Samantha shook her head, hoisting her bag onto her shoulder. "Then don't be sorry."

Fiona continued to look at her for a moment before shrugging and hoisting up her own bag.

"I could've served you one back, anyway," Samantha continued as she began on their path again. Fiona's head snapped up and she stared before scurrying to catch up.

"What?"

Samantha glanced at her. "Do you really want me to tell you?"

"Well it's not like Michael would ever tell me," Fiona pointed out. "I didn't even know you existed until you showed up on his doorstep."

"Wait, then how do you know he left me for you?" Samantha asked, confused. Fiona's mouth twisted.

"He told me. After you left."

Samantha smiled wryly. "Let me guess. To make you feel better?"

Fiona smiled back and shrugged. "Something like that. So what were you going to say?"

Samantha's smile dropped. "After he... thought you were dead..." she started slowly, awkwardly. "We, uh..."

"Did you two sleep together?" Fiona asked with a hard sigh. Samantha watched her expression for a moment before answering.

"Yeah."

Fiona sighed again, looking away deep into the jungle. Samantha continued to watch her for a while.

"You're lucky, you know."

Fiona looked back over to Samantha, disbelief written all over her face. "Define luck."

Samantha shrugged. "You've got Michael. I mean, he left me for you. I guess you could say you won."

"Yeah, but then right after trying to kill me he went and slept with you."

"Point taken."

The two of them chuckled humorlessly. Samantha realized maybe she already did understand Fiona. Both of them had been hurt by Michael too many times. But both of them still loved him unconditionally. They both loved the danger of what he did. They both had careers of their own that weren't exactly safe and legal. They would never understand why he did some of the things he did though they would never stop trying.

Both women, at one time, had thought they were through with Michael forever. They didn't need him in their lives anymore. But then he'd entered their lives again. And now neither of them wanted to let go.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	26. Chapter 25

Sam was not exactly a patient man. Sitting around waiting to hear from Samantha and Fiona while keeping an eye on an unconscious Michael wasn't on the top of his list of fun things to do. And, of course, time decided to slow down to a painful creeping of seconds. He kept checking his watch wondering why in the world he'd given Samantha and Fiona a full two hours between every check in. A lot could happen in two hours.

Grumbling under his breath, Sam walked over to Michael's fridge to help himself to a beer when he heard the gate outside opening. Quickly grabbing his handgun, Sam set the beer down and crept to the door. Just as he was reaching out to fling it open, the intruder shoved it open and the door collided painfully with Sam's outstretched hand. Letting out a cry of pain, Sam jerked back his hand, shaking it against the pain as he stared at the person in the doorway.

"Maddy! Dammit, you scared the hell out of me!"

Maddy didn't reply, pushing past Sam to hurry over to Michael. Sam followed her quickly.

"Maddy, what are you doing here? I told Virgil-"

"To keep me from coming?" Maddy asked bitterly. "My son's _dying, _Sam! I'm not going to let him go without saying goodbye!"

"He's not dying, Maddy," Sam assured her. "He's just badly hurt. And he needs rest, so why don't you-"

"I'm not _leaving_, Sam!" Maddy yelled. Sam stopped, blinking. She was seriously determined, wasn't she?

"Virgil told me he's still in trouble," Maddy continued, lowering her voice. "He's supposedly stable, but he still could get worse. I don't know what I can do, but I'm going to continue to make sure my son doesn't die before me."

Sam blinked again, frowning. Continue? What did she mean by that? How could she have made sure Michael didn't die before she did? He'd been in another hemisphere for years. What could Maddy done about that?

It took Sam a moment to realize she was thinking earlier than that. She was thinking of when Michael had been a kid.

Sam watched in wonder as Maddy turned her back to him, sitting down by Michael's side. Silently she brushed Michael's cheek, tenderness written in her every movement. It suddenly occurred to Sam that Maddy was more than just a friend, someone Michael, Fi and he trusted completely: Maddy was Michael's mom. And however dysfunctional Michael and Maddy's relationship was, she would tear the world apart for her son.

After a long moment, Maddy turned back to Sam, standing up. Sam frowned at her, noticing tears in her eyes.

"Maddy? You okay?"

Maddy opened her mouth to answer but instead found the barriers against her tears broke. Chocking against the sob, Maddy leaned forward onto Sam's chest. Sam froze for a moment, surprised. Maddy's tears beginning to dampen his shirt, he awkwardly wrapped his arms around her, patting her back.

Only a few moments passed before Virgil let himself through Michael's door. He took in the sight before him, raising an eyebrow at Sam questioningly. Sam gave a slight shrug. Maddy noticed the movement and turned around, wiping away the tears. A look of exhaustion washing over her when she noticed Virgil and she turned back to Sam.

"You'll call if anything happens?"

Sam nodded, a little frightened by how worn she now looked. "Of course, Maddy."

Maddy nodded her thanks and turned back to Virgil, taking his hand. "Let's go back home."

Sam watched them leave in somewhat of a stupor. That was a bit odd. That hadn't just been about Michael being hurt, had it? Sam somehow got the feeling there was a bit more behind Maddy's actions...

A crackling sound made Sam jump out of his thoughts. He whirled around just as Samantha's voice crackled from where the radio sat on Michael's kitchen counter.

_"We're checking in, Sam. How's Michael?"_

Sam scrambled to the radio, relief flowing through him. "Samantha! George cleaned up Mikey but there's not much more he can do. He's not in immediate danger anymore, but it's still uncertain."  
_"Did he wake up at all?"_

"No, he's still out cold. But it's good for him to get some rest," Sam pointed out. "What about you two? You doing okay?"

_"We ran into a couple of jaguars-"_

_ "Damn animals."_

_ "-and a mine, but we're fine."_

Sam chuckled at Fiona's comment. "Any sign of the kid?"

_"Not yet,"_ Samantha replied. _"But we haven't even made it back to Georgia's hut so..."_

"All right," Sam said grimly. He didn't like the idea of Samantha and Fiona wandering around for too long. "Be careful. I want to hear again from you in exactly two hours. Or less."

_"We'll be fine, Sam."_

Sam set the radio back down, finally remembering the beer he'd gotten out before Maddy had shown up. He grabbed it and popped it open, turning around to look at Michael. He hated this. All of this. Michael was unconscious and possibly dying. Samantha and Fiona were out in a jungle that was unusually full of nasty things. And Madeline was acting strange. Yet there was nothing Sam could do about it. All he could do was sit and wait.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	27. Chapter 26

It was hot. So hot. So hot and muggy and gross.

He was tired. So tired. His run had slowed down to a slow trudge. But he had to keep moving. Mom had told him to.

Mom.

Where was she? Why hadn't she followed him? He missed her. He missed her so much.

He missed his sister too. He missed teasing her even though he was too tired to tease her right now. He missed laughing with her. He wouldn't ever forget the last time he'd seen her... It had barely even looked like her anymore.

He missed Dad too. He wondered if Dad was home yet. Hadn't that one man, the tall one, said Dad was worried about them? Had he been lying?

So tired...

He couldn't keep walking anymore. He tripped over his own feet, falling to the ground in a heap. He was so tired. So, so tired.

And so Johnny curled up and fell asleep.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	28. Chapter 27

Hours upon hours passed as Fiona and Samantha trudged through the jungle. They continued to check in with Sam every two hours, exchanging news about themselves and Michael's condition. Sam told them it seemed Michael was getting better and once he even woke up for a couple minutes. Samantha and Fiona ran across another cage, but both avoided getting caught. Other than that, the two women made conversation, neither of them really realizing the friendship they were starting to form.

"...and his boxers came down with them!"

"And _how_ old were you?" Fiona asked through her laughter.

"Fourteen," Samantha replied, grinning. "Back when I was sheltered and innocent. You have no idea how _traumatized _I was! It was-"

"Shh," Fiona interrupted suddenly, waving a hand. She was a little farther ahead and had stopped laughing a second again. Samantha's grin dropped and she crept forward, squinting through the brush to try to see what Fiona was looking at.

"What is it?" she hissed. "The attacker? Jaguars?"

Fiona shook her head silently, crawling forward. Samantha followed, confused, trying to peer past Fiona. Finally the cause of Fiona's actions came into view: a little boy curled up in a ball up against the base of a tree. Something twisted in Samantha's chest.

"Is he dead?" she whispered reverently. Fiona crawled to Johnny's side and checked his pulse. She looked up with a small smile.

"He's alive. And he doesn't seem hurt," she added, taking in the boy's little body. "He's just sleeping."

Samantha smiled, relieved. At last they were starting to have success.

XxXxX

"Hey," Sam greeted quietly, hurrying over to the bedside as Michael began to stir. "How you feeling?"

Michael's face twisted painfully before he answered. "Terrible."

Sam grinned. Last time Michael had woken up, he hadn't said anything. Responding was a step forward. "You're alive, though. That's gotta feel good."

"Not exactly," Michael grunted. "What happened?"

"The ninja guy attacked you again, apparently," Sam answered. "Samantha radioed us and I brought you back to the loft. George fixed you up. Again."

Michael's eyes opened to frown at Sam. "What about Samantha and Fi?"

Sam winced. "They're still out there. Looking for the kid. I'm having them check in every two hours." Sam glanced at his watch. "If you can stay lucid for another couple minutes, they should be checking in soon."

But Michael had already slipped back into unconsciousness. Sam pursed his lips. At least he'd had somewhat of a conversation with him. Progress. That's what mattered.

_"Sam, we've found Johnny!"_

Sam jumped off the mattress, snatching the radio up and glancing at his watch again. "Alive?" Sam asked.

_"Exhausted, but, yes, alive,"_ Samantha replied, sounding ecstatic. Sam rushed over to the laptop still sitting on the kitchen counter, pulling up the women's location.

"All right, I'll get you directions out."

_"Any news about Michael?"_ Samantha asked.

"Yeah, actually, he was just awake a moment ago. Asked what happened and where you two were," Sam told them as he looked up their coordinates. "Fell back asleep right before you radioed."

He gave them basic directions for getting out the jungle, glad he'd packed a GPS in one of the bags the women had with them.

"You should be out in about an hour," he finished. "Is the kid going to need George to look at him?"

_"That might be a good idea,"_ Samantha said. _"He should probably take a look at Fiona too-"_

_ "What? I'm fine!"_

_ "No, you're not. You've got those burns from the mine and the jaguar wasn't exactly gentle-"_

_ "I've gotten along fine for this long, haven't I?"_

_ "Walking around in a jungle full of various bacteria. You need to be looked at."_

"Girls!" Sam interrupted, surprised at the tone of their bickering. It didn't sound quite as vicious as he would've expected... "I'll ask George to pick you all up, okay? He can look over Johnny and when you get back to the loft, Fi, I can take a look at you. Doesn't sound like something George needs to take care of."

_"It's not,"_ Fi bit stubbornly. Sam rolled his eyes.

"All right, I'll call George. See you both soon. And stay safe. Just because you're on your way out doesn't mean it's not dangerous anymore."

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	29. Chapter 28

"Welcome back," Sam greeted with a wide grin as Fiona, Samantha, Johnny and George let themselves into Michael's loft. George patted Johnny's back gently.

"I've done all I can do for this kid," he told Sam. "He's going to still need a lot of care, but more of in the psychological area. Not my area of expertise."

Sam nodded gratefully. "Thanks for all your help the past few days, George."

George grinned. "Any time, Sam." He turned to leave, closing the door behind him. Sam pointed at Fiona.

"Over to the kitchen. Now. I'm going to patch you up."

Fiona growled slightly, but did as told, Sam following her. Samantha looked over to where Michael lay, realizing he'd been watching them the entire time silently. She smiled when their eyes met and wrapped her arms around Johnny, leading him to the foot of Michael's bed.

"I'll take him back to his dad's in the morning," she said, rustling a hand through Johnny's hair. "And before bed, I'll help him get washed up."

"I'll go with you," Michael said with a grunt, pulling himself up onto his elbows. "I owe William at least that courtesy."

Samantha frowned at him. "You sure you're up for that?"

Michael raised an eyebrow at her. "You're not expecting returning Johnny to his father to be life-threatening, are you?"

Samantha smiled, ducking her head. "No. Just..." She paused, looking back up at him, a note of sadness in her eyes. "You almost died, Michael."

Michael cocked his head, repositioning himself. "That's happened before."

"So am I not allowed to be worried?"

Michael blinked, looking up to Samantha with a strange expression. He'd had this conversation before... with Fiona...

"You can worry," he said gently. He glanced over to where Fiona sat, Sam bandaging her up and wondered if she had worried about him too.

XxXxX

The next morning, Michael did manage to haul himself out of bed and drive to the Ellinas household. He, Samantha and Johnny got out of the Charger and walked up to the porch, Michael knocking hard on the front door. Samantha bent down slightly to squeeze Johnny's shoulders.

"You're home, sweetie. You excited to see your dad again?"

Johnny nodded mutely, none of the proclaimed excitement showing in his face. Samantha's smile turned grim and she looked up to Michael. Both knew it would take a lot to take care of Johnny now. They could only hope William would be up for it after losing two other family members.

After a long moment, Michael frowned, concerned and knocked on the door again. "William, it's Michael. We found your son."

Still nothing. Michael turned his frown to Samantha before trying the doorknob. It opened without a fight. Exchanging another glance, Samantha and Michael walked in the house, Samantha wrapping a protective arm around Johnny.

Michael walked ahead of Samantha. Something was nagging at him in the back of his mind. Something was wrong, something was very wrong... Slowly, Michael reached behind him to grab his SIG and pulled it out. He hoped he was mistaken: he didn't want to further traumatize Johnny. But he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad had happened or was about to happen.

Slowly, Michael checked room by room for any sign of William. When he got to the master bedroom, he froze.

"Sam," he called. "Keep Johnny back."

Only a moment passed before Samantha showed up behind him. "What is it? Oh, my..."

On the bed lay William, sprawled out on top of the covers. Michael hurried to his side, checking his pulse.

"Dead," he informed Samantha grimly. All of the Ellinas family save Johnny was dead. Michael let a string of curses run through his head.

"How?" Samantha asked quietly, looking around as she joined Michael at William's side. She began checking his body for wounds as Michael looked around the room for any sign of a struggle. Nothing. No hint of anything. It was as if William had just up and died.

Or...

Something black and cold enveloped Michael and he walked over to the master bathroom. Various bottles of pills were strewn all over the sink, some tipped over and spilling out. All were open, all had been used.

Michael stared at the pills, feeling himself fall deeper and deeper into the cold blackness that was surrounding him. William had committed suicide. The grief of losing his daughter and wife had driven him to mix pills and take a dangerous amount.

Michael knew the feeling. If it hadn't been for that kid who'd run into the motel room by accident Michael would've been where William was now years ago.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	30. Chapter 29

_ Michael was barely aware of the tears streaming down his cheeks. Instead he focused on the painfully cold metal of the handgun he was holding to his temple. Once again, things were crashing down around his ears so fast it made his head spin. It was the calm before the storm, one of those rare and terrifying times that Michael had too much time to think. He knew why his missions kept failing, he knew all too well. He'd gotten distracted. He'd broken the rules. He'd fallen in love with a fiery Irish woman and there was nothing he could do about it now._

_ The pills he'd swallowed were taking too long for Michael. The handgun was sloppy and obvious but he was beyond desperation now. And so he sat there, on his bed in the cruddy motel in Afghanistan, digging the barrel deeper and deeper into his temple._

An explosion rocked the motel and the gun slipped from his sweaty temple. Michael blinked, confused but quickly decided he didn't care. He wasn't going to stall any longer.

Michael repositioned the handgun on his temple and brought his finger down on the trigger.

"Whoa, sorry about that, wrong room... Hey! Dude, what are you doing?"

Michael jumped, the handgun clattering to the floor. A young American soldier stood in the doorway, staring at Michael open mouthed.

"You trying to kill yourself?" the kid asked, rushing in to grab the gun as if Michael was about to snatch it back up. "Trust me, it's not worth it. I don't care how bad it is out there," he said gesturing outside. Michael glanced at the window, the sounds of fighting finally sinking in.

"It's not worth it. Seriously." The kid patted Michael on the shoulder. "Let's get you cleaned up, okay?"

Michael wasn't quite aware of the kid helping him to his feet and leading him towards the bathroom. The kid stopped when he saw the open bottle of pills tipped over on the sink. He looked at Michael, eyes wide.

"You take pills too?"

Michael didn't answer. The pills were finally starting to kick in. The kid shoved Michael to the toilet and to his knees.

"You gotta throw them back up! Come on!"

Michael shook his head numbly. The kid got down to his knees beside Michael and looked him hard in the eyes.

"Come on, dude," he said quietly. "Give life a second chance."

Michael stared at the kid blankly for a long while, dizziness waving over him. Then he turned back to the toilet and threw up.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	31. Chapter 30

"Michael? Michael! Michael, are you all right?"

Michael blinked widely, jerking himself back into the present to see Samantha was standing in front of him, worry etched in her expression. He shook his head, brushing her off as he regained balance. Maybe he could just pass it off with the excuse of his wound. The only person other than himself that knew about the day he attempted suicide was that kid whose name he never learned. Michael wasn't about to tell Samantha.

"I'm fine," he muttered dismissively, raising his hand to his shoulder. Samantha frowned at the gesture and Michael felt a small wave of relief pass through him. She was falling for the ruse.

"We should go," he said quietly, walking out the bathroom and bedroom, taking care to not steal a glance at William's body. They met up with Johnny who was waiting patiently on the couch in the front room and Michael sighed.

"We'll have to find him an orphanage," he said quietly as Samantha hurried to Johnny. Michael started for the door but stopped when Samantha spoke.

"Michael, I... I could take care of him."

Michael turned, looking at Samantha quizzically. She looked down to Johnny, kneeling down to wrap an arm around him.

"I know he's not Charlie, but he needs a family and I can provide that. He needs a family that can handle the trauma he comes with and I can do that."

Michael continued to stare at her as she rubbed Johnny's arms comfortingly.

"Would you like to live with me, sweetie?" she asked gently. Johnny held her eyes for a while before nodding slowly. A large smile grew on Samantha's lips and she looked back up to Michael.

"It might be a good idea to get him out of Florida," she said. "We'll leave for Chicago today."

XxXxX

"You sure you have to leave?"

"This place holds too many bad memories for him," Samantha pointed out. "It'll be better for Johnny to start out with a clean slate."

Fiona sighed, glancing to where Johnny sat in Samantha's car before giving Samantha a hug. "Stay in touch."

Samantha grinned. "Of course."

Both Sam and Michael were watching the exchange between the two women in absolute shock. Samantha looked up to Sam, her grin widening at the look on his face. He shook his head, smiling amusedly as he walked up to shake her hand.

"Stay safe," he ordered. "And let us know if you ever need anything."

"You'll be the first people I come to," Samantha assured. She looked over to Michael, walking up to him. "Don't do anything stupid. Okay?"

Michael smiled slightly. "No promises."

Samantha shook her head in amusement before leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek. Michael threw a quick glance to Fiona but saw she was chatting with Johnny and hadn't noticed. Michael wasn't sure if it would've mattered anyway since it seemed she and Samantha were suddenly great friends.

"I'll miss you," Samantha whispered. Michael looked back to her, their eyes locking.

"I..." Michael started awkwardly. "I'll miss you too, Sam."

Samantha smiled at him, turning back to the car and climbing inside. "I'll see you around!" she called as she turned it on. Then she drove away. Fiona turned to Sam and Michael with a slight bounce to her step.

"I'm going to head back home and get some rest," she told them with a meaningful look to Michael before skipping to her own car and driving away. Michael watched her drive off as well, trying to let his mind catch up with the rest of the world. He jumped slightly when his phone rang and shoved his hand in his pocket.

"Virgil," he greeted.

_"Hey, Mikey, uh, look. You might wanna come over to your ma's house sometime soon."_

"Why?" Michael asked, alert and concerned. "Is something wrong?"

_"Just come over soon,"_ Virgil replied. _"Your ma needs to talk to you."_

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	32. Chapter 31

_A/N: As there is only this and the epilogue and I will not be able to post Friday, you're getting two chapters in one day. Lucky you!_

"Ma?"

Maddy glanced up at Michael briefly before staring back down to her feet. Michael approached cautiously, sitting down in front of her.

"Samantha's going back to Chicago," he told her. Maddy looked up again.

"Oh? That's too bad. She's a sweet girl."

Michael blinked, confused and glanced behind him to give Virgil a questioning frown. Virgil shrugged half-heartedly, indicating Michael needed to turn back to Maddy. Michael did, eyes raking over her critically as she turned her attention back to her feet. He opened his mouth to ask if she was okay, but she beat him to it.

"I really hate false advertising."

Uh. Michael blinked. That was... random... "Okay..." he said slowly. Maddy pulled up her left sleeve.

"These things don't work _at all_."

Michael stared at her arm in shock. "Nicotine patches?"

Maddy jerked her sleeve back down, resuming her close observation of her feet. Michael continued to stare at her, trying to wrap his mind around this bombshell.

"Ma, are you... are you trying to quit smoking?"

Maddy nodded, still fixed on her feet. Michael paused, still scrambling.

"Why?"

Maddy jerked her head around for a second as if she was having trouble finding the right words. Finally she mumbled something incoherently. Michael leaned forward to hear better.

"What?"

"Lung cancer."

Michael pulled back suddenly, everything in the world seeming to lose importance except for the two words his mother had just spoken.

"What?" he whispered, praying he'd heard her wrong. This couldn't be happening. Not to his own mother.

Maddy looked up, giving her son a hard look straight in the eyes. "I have lung cancer, Michael."

Michael leaned against the back of his chair, one hand going to his mouth in horror.

"I didn't understand half the medical babble they told me," Maddy continued, now sounding like this was just an everyday occurrence, "but apparently it's not half as bad as it could be. Especially considering how much I smoke. But I do need to stop smoking. And..." Her voice broke off painfully and she looked away again. "I'm going to need surgery." She chuckled, looking up again. "They're cutting out a bit of my lungs, Michael."

Michael leaned forward again, taking her hand in his. "When?"

"Next week. I'll be fine, Michael," she promised, clutching his hand. Michael shook his head, glancing at their hands.

"How long have you known, Ma?"

"I only just found out for sure yesterday," Maddy replied. "But I knew there was the possibility since before Nate came to town."

_ "Why in the world are you here, Nate? You couldn't have just waited until the storm passed?"_

_ "Ma's been acting... strange."_

_ "How?"_

_ "I don't know. It's hard to explain. Talking less. Seems distracted. I mean, it could be nothing but..."_

_ "When did you notice she was acting strange?"_

_ "When I got here. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized she'd been sounding strange on the phone, too. Haven't you noticed?"_

Damn. Michael had completely forgotten the entire reason this whole mess in the past few days had started. What had lead to meeting Georgia, finding out Frank was still alive, reuniting with Samantha... Nate had been so worried about Maddy's behavior when he arrived that he walked all the way from her house to Michael's loft in the middle of a thunderstorm.

"Does Nate know?" Michael asked quietly. Maddy shook her head.

"I haven't... Michael, this is hard for me."

Michael squeezed her hand, biting back the emotion that was welling up inside of him. "I know, Ma. I know. Do you want me to call him?"

Maddy nodded silently. Michael moved to go call Nate, but Maddy tightened her grip on his hand.

"In a moment," she whispered. Michael sat back down slowly. Maddy met his gaze with tear-filled eyes and a small smile. Michael stared back into her eyes, biting down tears of his own. Maddy leaned forward, settling herself onto Michael's chest. Michael froze for a moment and it wasn't long before he could feel the shake of her shoulders, his shirt steadily getting damp.

He'd had his mother cry in his shirt plenty of times but never before had the tears been completely true and sincere. Surprised to feel a tear sliding down his own cheek, Michael wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight.

"It'll be okay, Ma," he whispered hoarsely. "It'll be okay."

_A/N: __I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	33. Epilogue

"So... lung cancer, huh?"

Michael gave Sam a grim look. "Yeah. I don't know why I'm so surprised. She's been smoking for as long as I remember."

"She's lucky that's it's not any worse than it is," Sam pointed out. Michael nodded.

"I take it Virgil told you."

"Yup. I think he called Fi, too."

Michael's eyes widened at the sound of Fi's name. "Aw, crap," he hissed, standing up and snatching his keys. Sam watched him with a smile.

"I thought she was going home to rest."

Michael looked back to Sam with a strange twist to his mouth. "That's what she said, yeah."

Sam chuckled under his breath. "Going to make things up to her, then?"

Michael cocked his head to the side. "You could say that," he replied before rushing out the door.

XxXxX

With a slight bit a caution to his step, Michael opened the door to the hotel room, wondering if Fi had beat him there. He'd been a little distracted by the whole drama with Madeline and was arriving a little later than he would have liked. As it turned out, Fiona had indeed beat him there and was standing by the window. Michael watched her silently for a moment, caught up in how strangely serene she seemed. Finally, she turned to him.

"How's your mom?" she asked. Michael shook himself out of his reverie and walked up to her.

"She'll be fine," he replied quietly.

"What about you?"

Michael blinked, confused for a moment before remembering how well Fi could read him sometimes. "I'll be fine," he assured her even more quietly. Gently, he placed his hands on her arms, savoring the feel of her skin on his. Ever so slowly, he leaned down to kiss her. Before their lips could touch, however, the touch of her arms in his hands disappeared. Michael opened his eyes in surprise. Fi was smiling grimly, shaking her head as she backed away from him quickly.

"No," she said, almost sounding as if she was talking more to herself. "No, I'm not going to do this again." She looked up, meeting Michael's bewildered stare. "I can't do this to myself again. It's like this every time. I don't know why I've kept letting you do this to me, but I do know I'm not letting you do it again. I'm done, Michael. I can't _do_ this anymore!"

"What are you talking about, Fi?" Michael asked, taking a step towards her. She stepped back, putting up a finger warningly.

"Stop. Don't. What am I talking about? This." She gestured at the two of them. "That." She gestured at the bed. "Every time this happens, you go and do your spy thing and leave me behind. Every single time. I'm not going to follow you around like a lost puppy anymore, it's degrading! I don't know why I haven't learned this before now, but I can't be second best anymore.

"You know what I've realized? It's pointless," she said bluntly. "Because you just don't feel the same way about me as I feel about you. And why should I make myself miserable by trying to make you feel the same way?"

"But I-"

Fi simply had to give him a hard glare and Michael shut up.

"Samantha and I got to talking while we were out there in the jungle, Michael. And seeing how much you leaving her affected her life and continues to today, I realized I'm well on the way to following in her footsteps. I don't know why I let you break my heart time and time again. I really don't know why I still love you. Sometimes I really wish I didn't. Because it really just doesn't seem like I mean enough to you.

"If you're not dating me, you're just... not that into me. If you're not having sex with me, except for when it pleases you, you're just not that into me. If you're having sex with someone else, especially your ex-fiance, you're just not that into me. If you don't want to marry me, you're just not that into me. If you keep breaking up with me, you're just not that into me. If you almost killed me and then immediately go hit the sack with your ex-fiance, _you're just not that into me_."

Michael looked like he'd just been hit square on the head with a few tons of crap. But Fi didn't let up.

"Maybe I'm the exception," she said, shrugging. "Maybe you really do love me just as much as I love you, maybe being an ex-spy really does give you an excuse. That's what I've told myself before. Maybe I am that one in a million exception that they make movies and write books about. But I'm not going to let you have that chance that easily. Not anymore. I'm _done_ having my heart broken, Michael. I'm _done_."

On that final note, Fi pushed past him and stormed through the door, letting it slam shut behind her. Michael stared dumbly after her, slowly sinking down to sit on the edge of the bed, her words continuing to ring in his ears through the rest of night.

_A/N: Thank you to my boss who allows me to sit at a desk and write all day everyday._

_Special shout out to Crazy Computer's Vendetta for her amazingly fun to read reviews and has, thus far, reviewed every single chapter of this trilogy._

_Thank you to everyone who has, is or will read and/or review. I love you all so very much!_

_Don't forget to check out the third story of this trilogy, the title of which I can finally reveal. **Monsters, Demons and the Devil Herself**. **The Devil Herself**'s prologue will be posted Saturday._

_I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


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